Arrrrr!!!

So I think Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Well, after Christmas of course.  I just LOVE dressing my kids up in costumes.  We seriously talk about what they are going to be the whole year.  I drove Leigh crazy with planning the kids' costumes in July, but I knew I would be a little distracted come October, so I wanted to be prepared.  And I will say that I have let Chase pick his costumes every year  - well since he has been able to verbalize it to me.  And I am quite pleased with his choices.  I was very excited for him to be Captain Jack this year.  And Mia was an easy sell on a pirate.  I probably have until next year before she insists on being a princess from here on out.   And what a cute pirate she was.  She kept saying "A pirate, Arrrr!"  And I love that she wore her eye patch as a necklace all night.

I loved that she got trick or treating this year.  And nothing is cuter than 2 year old trick or treaters. And even more, I love that not only did she agree to wear a costume, but that she actually went up to the doors and said "trick or treat".  Anyone that knows my Mia knows that a few months ago I would have never believed she would do either of these things.  Slowly, my shy Mia is coming out of her shell.

Chase could not have been more excited to be Captain Jack (other than when I told him his cousin Drew was a transformer and he started crying because that was "so cool)". It is kind of funny that he picked this since he obviously has never seen the movie and only has been on the ride at Disneyland once and then refused to go on it since.   While trick or treating, I overheard one man who answered the door say "Oh a pirate", and Chase corrected, "Actually, I am Captain Jack".

Baby Lyla slept through most of Halloween festivities, but did get dressed up in a little Halloween outfit.

We had four Halloween parties leading up to the big night.  FOUR! After the third party (and washing paint off of the costumes), I was a bit burned out, so we sat the last party out and instead carved pumpkins.

On Halloween night we headed to the Peterson's for our fourth annual party and trick or treating with them.  And it did not disappoint.  We had great food, the most delicious homemade root beer ever, and the Peterson's were the hit of their neighborhood with their spook alley.  I had to drag Chase away crying at the end of the night.  I think he had more fun helping scare kids in the spook alley than he did trick or treating.

The kids before the trick or treating began:

Shockingly, Mia refused the group photo, but agreed to take a pic with her BFF, Elliana.

And of course, we have aleady started talking about costumes for next year.