Halloween 2010

The kids' Halloween was super sweet this year--literally. Between our ward Trunk-or-Treat and a trick-or-treat event at one of the malls around here, our kids got loaded up with more candy than I've ever seen--and all of that was on Saturday, before Halloween was even officially here! On Sunday, we enjoyed a quiet night at home making home-made donuts. It was fun, but awfully lonely without the house full of family we usually enjoy as part of our Halloween tradition!

Delaney was delighted to be a witch...when she wasn't insisting that she was, in fact, a "pirate princess" and not a witch at all. She switched back and forth repeatedly. But the cool purple witch hat that Grandma Kathy sent made being a witch extra fun!

Addy's favorite part of being a witch was having a broom to "fly" around on. She even got to wear her costume to gymnastics on the week of Halloween. Then she really did seem to fly, as she tumbled around on the trampline and other fun stations.

Of course Keaton was thrilled to be a pirate--what six year old boy wouldn't be beside himself with joy if simply because he had the excuse to run around with a giant sword and an eye-patch?!

Mason wouldn't sit still long enough for a picture, but he was an awfully cute pirate. Even cuter, though, was watching the way he reacted every time people gave him candy. He was in utter amazement that perfect strangers would give him candy every time he approached with his bag held open. He learned pretty quickly that if he lingered, they'd inevitably throw in an extra handful, apparently just because he was so darn cute!

Grady was not too keen on his costume. Getting his hat on him for about 5 seconds was about as far as we got, never mind the rest of his outfit! He didn't mind all the candy, though!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

We discovered a super fun pumpkin patch in a neighboring city and had a great time exploring it. Aside from the endless rows of enormous pumpkins, the highlights of our trip were the hayride, jumping off a giant haystack, a hay maze, and exploring dozens and dozens of wooden characters.

The Benefits of a Back Yard Alley

Now that the weather has cooled a bit, one of the kids' favorite pastimes is riding their bikes up and down the alley in back of our house. It makes the perfect race track!

Unlike a street out front, traffic in the alley is so light and slow-moving that even Grady can join in and feel like a big kid.

Even a flat tire on her bike can't slow Addy down. She hops on the trike at the top of the alley, builds up speed, then zooms down with her legs outstretched like wings and weaves back and forth. (Hey, you've gotta find your own fun, right, rather than wait for Dad to fix your bike tube!)

Grady, Grady, Grady...The kid still can't walk, but he can scoot around just fine, and he is not one to miss out on the fun!

And speaking of scooting, Mason loves to cruise up and down on his scooter. Just look at that determination!