Halloween Fallout

Disgusting! Green Teeth...

Wallowing in spent candy wrappers...

Binge watching Tree House of Horrors...

We have officially over-dosed with sugar!

Here is our list of favs:
Jaws: Ring Pops

Little Chief: Kit Kat

Tadpole: Nerds

Abizella: Twix

Superkid: The candy apples with the razor wires in them or 100,000 Grand

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our SPOOKS, 

the 2 Rangers, the Sheriff and Charmander!

...and our Photobomber too!

Superkid is coming into Trick-or-Treat retirement. Instead he invited a buddy over to feast on pizza and candy while they watch scary movies.

Charmander is wrapped in warmth and snuggly comfort. 

He can go long and hard tonight!

This Ranger always has a plan. While we were out harvesting candy in the neighborhood he commented, "Mom, every once and a while I take an Almond Joy. That way if I have to give a piece to you for leaving a wrapper on the ground, I at least don't have to give up something good."

This Ranger is off to a Halloween party with some church friends. She is super excited about her costume this year as she made it herself- she even sewed the tunic without using a pattern! While I was driving her over to the party, she reviewed an impressive list of costumes over the years and concluded that this was her best.

And this little guy is a Sheriff- not a cowboy! He was happy to correct anyone who was not able to make this distinction. This was his official first year of Trick-or-Treating. After completing our street and the loop off our street (a route that killed off all our other youngsters) I asked him if he would like to stop and go home. He looked and me in astonishment and said, 

"Stop?! Why would I want to stop?! I love Trick-or-Treating!!!"

The spookiest house on the street! Ours! Too bad you can't hear the creepy music coming out of that haunted old place.

Jack-o-Lanterns

Pumpkin carving time!

You may notice Tadpole is conspicuously absent. 

He can't stand the smell of pumpkin guts.

They did a great job!

Plenty of pumpkins to welcome any Ghouls who come our way.

Pre-K Halloween Parade

Orchrestra Pit

I never thought I would have my own orchestra pit!

Okay, maybe it is just the cello section, but still!

Abizella is working with Tadpole.

They sound so good together!

Blackburns in the HOUSE.

Once upon a time we had these super amazing best friends that lived here in Boston with us. We all lived happily in Quincy together before any of us had kids. In the glory days we even lived in the same apartment complex. We both heaped on the kids over the years and our bond only grew stronger. Then those turkeys packed up and moved away forever. Pops said they were dead to us. We have managed to see them a few times over the last few years, and each time we love them more than ever and we are madder than ever that they moved away. We are so robbed. We love the Blackburns.

They came recently to show their kids their birthplace and the people that would have been their best friends forever.

We took the Blackburns to the Adams National Park.

 The best part is that Pops didn't know that he was wearing a dress.

 The Blackburn kiddos

 We were all instant friends all over again.

 We toured the Adams' old houses...

 But we all agree, the Trolley ride was the best part.

 Then on to the "new" Mansion house.

Not everyone had another tour in them. I volunteered to man the troops in the gardens.

 We met a butterfly catcher. He had 5. I was mystified until the kid told us he was selling them on eBay for $5 each.

 Little Chief is big into garden photography...

We did manage to get in on the tail end of the tour to see the library and even got a glimpse of Emma Smith's Book of Mormon.

 Next, we rushed home to pull together some costumes for Trunk or Treat and bake a pie...

 

Since the kiddos were going as Rangers, I decided to go as a Skandian. Abz and Superkid whipped up a battle ax for me.

 Then we headed for our happy place- Nantasket beach to romp once again with our old friends.

 We took a spin on our old carousel, just like the good 'ol days.

 And we topped it off with summer's last scoop of ice cream...

 Dave found a "tooth" rock...

 I REALLY loved reconnecting with my friend. I REALLY miss sitting around all afternoon chatting with Chris while the kiddos happily played. I can simply never get enough. We sat up late each night trying to squeeze it all in.

Really the best part was to see how fast the kiddos became BFFs again (or for the first time). Chris sent this sweet pic that Cora insisted upon drawing as soon as she got home and before she went to bed. 

I think we need to plan a road trip out west this summer so we can do it all over again!