Happy Halloween!

photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Me? Scared? Nah…there’s NOTHING scarier than FOOD!!

 

Happy Halloween!

This year, as every year, we’re skipping Trick or Treating. One day, hopefully, my kiddos can participate in that cherished tradition, but for now it just doesn’t make sense. They can’t have any of the candy and we live in the boondocks. So, not never, just not yet. They’re too little to really get it anyway.

Besides, what they PREFER to do is Party. At least when “Party” means “go jump around like wild animals while dressed up in a costume with 60 other children”!

So we accommodate their wild urgings by taking them to an annual Halloween Party thrown by my local Mommies Group at a gymnastics place – full of a sponge pit and floor-set trampolines! (Not to mention tumbling mats and other fun toys!)

As that has become our family tradition for Halloween so far, I’ve started to accept the second part of that tradition: Jed will get sick right after the party. It’s happened twice now, out of the three times we’ve gone. Sigh. I guess all those kids means lots of germs and all those germs means Jed gets sick.

Still, since every single day since the Halloween Party I’ve heard Jed plead with me to “Go to a party with children, Mommy!” this is just something I’ll have to accept. Last night he even draped himself in a blanket and informed me that he was “…all dressed up and ready to go to the party!”

Jed LOVES to play with the kids at this place.

For treats this year, I stuck with what I know and what works: I made Jed more strawberry fruit snacks, chocolates, candy bars, and sunbutter cups.

Jed enjoyed making the chocolates with me. Such a helper!

I had hopes to work out a lollipop recipe that would be fructose-safe for him, but I haven’t had a chance to work on it, let alone master it yet. (Someday, oh yes, someday I WILL have a lollipop for Jed!)

We based our costumes this year off one thing: the AWESOME costume my Mom made for Jed when he was Zac’s age. A PURPLE DRAGON. It was SO darling and we didn’t have to spend any money or time on it, so duh, obviously.

Jed at 16 months old as a dragon….

Zac at 17 months old as a dragon!

Having a dragon running around meant Jed clearly needed to be a Knight in Shining Armor, right? (I was planning to dig out an old evening gown and make myself a Princess to totally complete the motif, but I couldn’t find an evening gown that I could nurse in. Zac’s need to eat in public outweighed my need to make an awesome Family Costume scenario!)

So my Mom whipped up an absolutely precious Knight costume for Jed, and we were off to Par-tay!

My little Knight in Shining Armor…or foam, whatever.

I hope your Halloween is fun and frightful (in a good way) and full of safe, delicious treats!

Oh, and as a parting laugh – I had no idea how hard it was to get two kids to simultaneously smile, look at the camera, and hold still! So here are some outtakes of our photo shooting attempts!

Hey Mommy! I’m just waiting for a chance to run for it!

…aannnd, we’re running!

Zac: I’m only doing this under protest.
Jed: Ooh, look! Claws!

And what modern Knight could survive without his 5 point harness?

Ready to charge the party!

Too cute!

__________

So, what are you dressing up as for Halloween? Share pictures on my Facebook page!