I won't detail the story that lead to the following costumes. Needless to say my dedication to creativity and frugality and support of my husband and desire to bring joy to my kids resulted in some quick internet searching followed by some super fast constructing and painting.
here they are:
the kids, despite having not napped - AGAIN - had a great time. While we were walking the streets begging strangers for candy a fellow beggar commented that Eva was a little engine that could. I said "Yeah, and he's the little engine that wouldn't" Elijah wouldn't wear the Thomas train even though he liked it very much. I suspected this would happen and is partly why I was all about creating costumes from items we had around the house instead of spending $25 and then having it sit at home. Well Thomas didn't sit at home, he came along - toted by our good sport of a friend Nelson. His wife Terri also helped the evening be a blast by staying home with Anders and handing out our candy so I could go along for my FIRST trick-or-treating experience and be with my kids.
How was it... i liked carving a pumpkin and eating the roasted seeds Lance made. it was fun to see my daughter decked out in my homemade James costume and to see how other people enjoyed our kids. It was neat to be out and about in the neighbor and seeing people. I enjoyed recognizing people that walk by our house daily. I loved getting to see the guys from a nearby group home. They were pretty excited to help give out candy. I liked having supper with our friends and then hanging out after.
But... it still confirmed all that I don't like about Halloween. In no particular order...
SUGAR - too much. I don't like my kids to have candy in that quantity and I don't like handing it out for other kids to gorge on. It is not healthy. And the way our napless sugar filled boy was wandering around like he was on drugs was enough of a confirmation about that.
CREEPYNESS - I am very sensitive to gruesome visuals and concerned for my children's eyes and ears. We don't make a big deal about something being scary, mostly we refer to skeletons and the like as "funny guys". We did skip one house last night because it had a super creepy soundtrack playing. I think sounds can be scarier than gravestones and bones.
STRANGERS - i am shy. I don't like knocking on stranger's houses. Asking for something just adds to the awkwardness
Okay enough about that.
Oh, one more thing, what are we going to do with all this candy?
Hope you're doing well. Now, on to the next season - one I LOVE
ADVENT!!!
9 comments:
i'm totally with you on this. I was on my own last night (husband doesn't get home until 7pm on weeknights), and in our neighborhood, we have a few sketchy characters. So...I don't hand out candy when i'm alone with the kids, and i don't want to take them out, for exactly the same reasons you described. i'm glad halloween is over!
I'm not a fan of Halloween either, though I always trick or treated. I was never really into the candy though and when I was younger it would take me until Easter to finish my Halloween candy...at least that's when Mom made me throw it out.
As for what you can do with your current candy...I take all donations now :)
You're right - way too much candy. And I love advent too. But really cute costumes. I can't believe you made those.
Aw yes, I totally agree with all your reasons about Halloween there. Even though I enjoyed trick or treating as a kid, when I went, I think it is just not worth all that sugar. I definitely don't want fat kids, not that I was fat then, but I don't want hyper ones either, and these could just happen with the use of the sugar drug. I think if I were ever to fill a trick or treater's bag at Halloween, I'd be giving out homeade bran muffins! Or something healthier anyway...
love the pic with a sucker stuck on the butt of Elijah! oh and the costumes you made were excellant. LOVED the train's faces!!!
I agree with your sentiments about Halloween--sugar is so unhealthy.
But I just can't stop laughing at the yellow lollipop stuck to Elijah's leg either!
Those costumes are great. Much more creative and fun than many you buy in the store. Plus I'm betting they are a new toy for the kids.
When I was younger I never thought having too much candy around was a problem, but now I have to hide it from myself!
I love the costumes! very creative. Maybe Elijah's should have been percy though? ;-) Josiah liked them too and recognized James right away.
i'm the opposite, I've always loved Halloween. I guess I don't like the real scary stuff behind it - or some of the things people have turned it into...but the fun part of the holiday I have always loved. However, having a small child now, I can completely relate to the zombie sugar fix. yikes.
I am not a big fan of Halloween either, for most of the same reasons. I gave out play doh to the 17 kids who came to my door.
you can see what I did with all the candy. :)
I LOVE THE TRAINS!!!
The volume of halloween candy itself doesnt bother me actually. It is the volume of candy and cupcakes and other sugar goods that are handed and bribed to my children DAILY. Candy for being good. Candy for showing up, candy for the bible verse, candy for bringing your bible, cupcakes for going a week of being good, a pizza party for the month, candy for so many prizes, cupcakes for someones birthday, cupcakes for random holiday, cupcakes for kid appreciation day, candy for goodie bags candy candy candy junk food.
Anyway, we go to the church halloween festival and then carve pumpkins on actual halloween night.
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