Halloween 2017

For many years our Halloween night traditions have included Heather and her kiddos coming to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat with us. For years we had such a Halloween carnival like atmosphere here. Pizza parties before-hand, over the top spooky decor, themed houses, haunted houses, scones and hot cocoa, fire pits and Halloween music, etc. But as the years have passed, our youngster heavy demographic has changed. The kids are growing up and have become teenagers and older. There are still quite a few children trick-or-treating, but nowhere near as many as in past years. Things have changed and some of those spooky hot spots in our neighborhood that brought in hordes of halloween revelers have moved or shuttered their windows as their own kids have grown up. There are still scones and cocoa, and various other houses with fun decor, music and fire pits in the driveways. But the Halloween carnival-like hey day in our neighborhood appears to be over. And while I'm a little sad, I understand it. And am thankful for the memories.

This year Heather, and specifically her youngest son Noah, decided that maybe they'd like to trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood and would we like to join them there? Interestingly, their neighborhood is the neighborhood we lived in for 8 years before moving to our present home. (In a totally coincidental turn of events, Heather and her little family moved into our old 'hood a few years after we moved out. For awhile we regularly got confused questions from ward members wondering how it was that Heather and I were such good friends if we'd never actually lived in the ward/neighborhood at the same time. We'd have to explain the growing up together/college roommates/BFF relationship.) Lilian agreed that though she'd prefer to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood, Noah was more important and if that meant spending Halloween night away from home, then so be it.

I had some massive deja vu as we wandered those same streets and houses that I had trick-or-treated with Rebekah, Julianne and Brandon when they were young. It was a little surreal to ring the doorbell and yell trick-or-treat at our old house. Goodness, what memories I had all evening long! The neighborhood has changed...there are quite a few who like us, have moved over the years. But there were still many familiar faces and some happy reunions with old neighbors.

 Honestly, not much of an official costume for me this year. This cute metal crown/headband was a souvenir Lilian picked up at Comic Con last month...and it took quite a bit of convincing trying to get her to let me borrow it. Not even the "But I paid for it!" seemed to work very well. I'm not sure if she thought I was going to break it or something? Somehow I finally got her to agree. But other than color coordinating my outfit to the crown, I wasn't any sort of character that I could actually name.

Look! It's our old front porch! That little metal flag holder on the post? I hung that up! Yeah...okay, I'll let it go.

Brandon spent the evening with some friends Halloween party hopping. Rebekah and Tanner stayed in Logan as Halloween was a weeknight and they had classes the next morning. Julianne was transferred to Kearny, NJ on Halloween and met her new companion for the first time. But she sent this picture from a Halloween party the weekend before in her Spanish branch in Toms River.

Halloween parade

As a kid I looked forward to celebrating Halloween in school, specifically the costume parade. I loved being dressed up in my costume at school. (My favorite was the year I was a fairy princess...oh my goodness, I'd never felt so beautiful.) I loved seeing everyone else's costumes. I loved parading through all the other classrooms and the gym where the parents congregated. I loved watching for my mom who'd walked up to the school to see us. I loved the class party afterwards. I have such vivid and happy memories of those elementary school Halloween experiences. It was all just great fun. So I was sad when my own children went to elementary schools where costumes and parades were not allowed. Oh, I'm sure they still quite enjoyed the Halloween parties and art projects and various festivities. And since they didn't know any different, they didn't miss the costume parade. But I knew, and I missed it vicariously for them.

When Lilian reached the 3rd grade, a new principle came to her elementary school. She decided that with a few guidelines and boundaries, she would be amenable to Halloween costume parades. Oh hey...did you hear that? That is the sound of joy and rejoicing throughout the land! Excitement abounded and a glorious Halloween celebration was had by all! {I might be getting just the slightest bit carried away now...} The next year a new elementary school was built nearby and we found ourselves included in the boundaries. Would that one year of Halloween costume parade goodness be our only year? Believe it or not, the principle of our new school also agreed to hold a parade! There was more joy and rejoicing, because now the kids knew what wonderful fun that parade truly was. They'd actually miss it now if it was discontinued. 

The Halloween costume parade is a different experience for me as a parent, clearly. I sit in the gym or the main hallway to watch the parade of kids come through...but still such enjoyable fun! What a feast for the eyes! It is so fascinating to see what costumes these kids come up with. Scary, cute, pop culture, pretty, creativity, color...but one thing that seems to be a standard with each kid: such joy on those little faces. There is no doubt that they love this Halloween parade tradition. {And now I'm feeling sad again that Rebekah, Julianne and Brandon never got to experience it. Lilian is the only one.}

All of this leading into pictures of Lilian's costume parade this year as a 5th grader. Unicorns were popular this year. While her costume was a little on the overly cozy side inside the school, it did keep her pretty warm while outside trick-or-treating Halloween night. But more on that a little later...

Coach Cade, also clearly a fan of Halloween, decided to have the last practice before the big day be a a combined one with both his girls and boys teams...and he encouraged them to wear their Halloween costumes. Deciding that it might be hard to run around in a bulky and hot fuzzy suit with a horn on your head while trying to make soccer goals, Lilian pulled out an old costume of Julianne's to wear that evening. But I tell you what, it was pretty funny watching Big Bird as goalie...

 A stop at Fiiz after practice with besties Lilian, Julie and Sophie.

Pumpkin adventures

Our resident lovebirds, Rebekah and Tanner, had never spent a Halloween together. Indeed, last year Tanner was newly home from Taiwan and Rebekah was still in London. So this year, while home from USU on Fall Break, we decided a trip to the pumpkin patch was in order.

Later that evening the pumpkin carving began. Tanner found a music design that he decided to carve into his pumpkin. Rebekah asked her Dad for his drill to make circular designs in her pumpkin. Brandon decided the drill was also the way to go, while Bryan helped Lilian carve a cat design. I had so much fun last year painting my pumpkins that I pulled out the paints again, and in honor of Julianne's mission, painted the shape of the state of New Jersey. (Trust me, the state flag was going to be way beyond my abilities.)

A few days later I pulled out my paints (and markers) again. Over Fall Break we also watched the new Disney movie, "Coco"...all about Mexican culture and Day of the Dead. Though Julianne is serving her mission in New Jersey, she is a Spanish speaking hermana and after spending 6 weeks in the Mexico MTC, is now teaching many hispanic and latino cultures. I decided that maybe it would be fun to try my hand at some Day of the Dead sugar skull pumpkins. I had so much fun that I think I'll make it tradition for future years to come. {Ah, how we miss our Hermana Croft!}

Trick or Treat 2016

Lilian and Brandon went old school with their pumpkin carving. I guess you can't even call what I did carving a pumpkin at all. I was missing my older girls and painted, rather than carved, some pumpkins in their honor: a British Union Jack for Rebekah on her mission, and the UVU symbol for Julianne at college. I quite enjoyed the painting...enough that I think I may try it again next year!

Lilian chose to be a vampire (vampiress? vampress? hmm). Drama queen that she is, I got some shots of her in full character as well as costume.

And then after a quick pizza dinner with the neighbors, Lilian, Noah and Garrett took off with a big group of friends for some serious trick-or-treating.

Heather came over un-costumed. Well, we couldn't have that now could we? How were we supposed to take our traditional Halloween BFF photo? We quickly decided that she could wear my Doctor Who attire...seemed especially appropriate as her boyfriend is a big Doctor Who fan.

Brandon took over candy duties since Bryan was out of town. But rather than jump up to answer the door every few seconds, he got all comfortable on the front porch with a love sac, blanket, headphones and an iPad...and that big bucket of candy. Perfect.

A Halloween Mommy Daughter Date

Halloween was a little bit different this year. Kind of more a mommy/daughter date than anything.

Julianne's main Halloween to-do had already come and gone so she headed off to a more casual sort of party for the evening with some friends.

Brandon swore he was bringing a bunch of gymnastics buddies home to celebrate Halloween in our very festive and carnival-like neighborhood...but at the last minute they ended up staying at another kid's house and trick-or-treated there. (Costume-less because Brandon's Hercules get-up that he insisted I purchase for him was still here at the house. Guess what he's going to be dressing up as next year??)

And then Heather scored herself some tickets to the Garth Brooks concert (lucky duck!) and apologetically pulled out of our annual Halloween traditions.

So, just Lilian and me. Luna Lovegood and a bank robber. And though Lilian was good natured about it overall, there were a couple of times she would comment, "I miss Noah. He'd run to the door with me. Now I have to do it by myself." Cause you know...it wasn't like her 42-year old mom was going to do much more than stand on the side walk in front of each house and cheer her on. And hold her increasingly heavy bucket of candy as the evening wore on. After two hours of trick-or-treating the orange jack-o-lantern bucket was completely full to overflowing and I can totally understand why she didn't want to carry it herself. I didn't want to carry it! That thing was heavy! Plus I was also trying to keep track of her scarf and my phone....all while continuously adjusting my black hat that didn't seem to want to stay put on the back of my head despite the bobby pins. And while peering through a black bank robber mask that was getting more and more irritating the longer I had it on.

But, candy galore. And hot cocoa at the bishop's house. And an Alice in Wonderland theme at the Elliott's. And the traditional Shadows of Fear haunted house down the street. (Which we didn't go through but did get close enough to for Lilian to hang out with a fire juggling clown. And he was creepy!) I think my favorite part of the evening though, was when we walked past a group of boys Lilian's age. She said hello to them all and then as we walked away one of the boys said to another..."Did you see Lilian? She looked SO pretty!!!" Lilian got a big grin on her face, but continued to walk on all coyly like she hadn't overheard. I couldn't help but laugh.

We checked in with Dad who had been manning the door at our house and updated him on the evening's festivities when we got home. Then we sorted and counted candy and settled in to watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Lilian), and peruse Facebook and Instagram to see everyone's Halloween costume pictures (me). It was a good night...but we will be happy to hopefully have Brandon,  Noah and the gang all back with us again next year.