A Fa-BOO-lous Halloween!!

Our Halloween started off with the class party and parade at Mason's school on the 28th. This year they came to school dressed in their costumes. Sophie, of course, had to be just like her brother and dressed in her costume that day as well. Being a room parent again this year, I helped plan, prepare and execute the party. The kids made an eyeball snack out of carrots, cream cheese and either a blueberry or an olive. I didn't think about how this snack would taste at the time of planning. Unfortunately it wasn't that great, based on the faces of some of the kids. However, these kids are pretty smart and ended up just eating each piece of fruit/vegetable on its own.

I also learned something while in the classroom. The white part of the eye, represented by the the cream cheese on our snack, is called the tapetum. It reflects light and helps nocturnal animals, such as bats, see in the dark. See even I am learning something from preschool!

After clean up, Sophie and I headed outside to join the rest of the Bears parents while we waited for the kids to parade by in their costumes.

Mason brought up the rear for his class in the role of caboose for the parade. It was pretty cold that day so coats were a necessity. He was pretty bummed though that they would not allow him to wear his cannon for the parade as it was considered a gun and no weapons were allowed. Still, I got so many comments on how much he looked like BumbleBee.

After making their way through the parking lot, the older kids (JK and Kindergarten) got to parade around Bloom grocery store across the street while the parents waited for the kids back in the classroom.

That evening we went to IHOP for free scary face pancakes. A special treat for the kids and night off of cooking for me.

I swear Halloween night could not come fast enough for these two kids. They had been chomping at the bit ever since Friday. This year was exceptionally special due to Fred and I hand making either all or parts of the kids costumes.

Mason was BumbleBee. This was a given from early on. In fact, he has been so into Transformers that when I saw the BumbleBee costume at Costco a month before Halloween, I didn't have to think twice before putting it in my cart. My only concern was whether it would fit. Which it did perfectly. After I had the idea to make Sophie's costume, thought it would be cool to make Mason a canon fully equipped with LED's. Mason, of course, LOVED the idea and would talk of nothing else till it was done. I have to say it came out awesome and really made the costume. Fred used a shipping tube for the canon, painting it yellow to match. He then programmed a micro controller to have the blue LED's blink in a circle like it does in the movie, as if he is about to shoot you. There were many compliments of his canon throughout the night.

Sophie was so hard to figure out. We had gone to Target, Costco, Walmart, etc. as soon as the costumes were being displayed to find one for her. At first I thought she would be TinkerBell, but the costumes were all either too baby or too adult or had elements like the wings and such which we already had. My next thought was a princess, she has been liking Ariel lately, but wouldn't even try on any of those costumes. She tried on Wonder Woman and wore it around the store, I was thinking we found the costume until she got bored with it. Mason and I were both at a loss. That's when Sophie started to really get into Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony.

It all started because we watch Transformers Prime on the hub and one day stumbled upon the newest Strawberry t.v. show. So one day while picking up some supplies at Target I had her try on the Strawberry Shortcake costume. For what it came with, it was a good price. Unfortunately the sizing on these costumes in not accurate. Even though it claimed to be a size 2T-4T it barely fit her and Halloween being a month away still, I was apprehensive about buying it. So I started to wonder how hard it would be to make.

Next thing I know I am searching Pinterest for homemade Strawberry Shortcake costume ideas and buying pink polka dot fabric and searching every store for green and white striped tights. Little by little the outfit came together and while I had some redos with the outfit, I think for my first attempt it came out really good.

Following a tutorial I found online, I just took one of her dresses, folded it in half and cut the shape out of the pink polka dot fabric. I then chopped of the top part and sewed the bottom half to a white T-shirt I bought at Walmart. For the leggings, I found the green stripped leg warmers at Target and ended up sewing them to the shorts of an outfit that she no longer fits into. Voila, leggings. For the hat, I used this tutorial, except I bought a cheap visor at Walmart for $2 as the base. I took the leftover green felt from making the peter pan hats for Sophie's second birthday party and covered the brim. Then I used the leftover fabric from making the dress and made the hat, using a hot glue gun to attach it to the visor. I piped the edges, covering the frays, with white ribbon from my stash and after trying it on her attached some elastic to the back of the visor to help it stay on her head. For the Strawberry Shortcake emblem, my friend, Kim from Hammers and Fire, made it for me and I then just printed it out on special paper and ironed it directly onto the t-shirt. Kim is the one who Fred collaborated with to make my one of a kind necklace for our 6th year Wedding Anniversary. I encourage you to click the link and check out her work on her blog. It is absolutely stunning. I am thinking of commissioning a ring to match my necklace. The pink sparkly shoes I found at Target and had to fight with her to not wear until Halloween.

I am quite impressed with myself and will be attempting to make more outfits and other crafty things. First on my list is to figure out how to make a memory quilt. I am feeling more comfortable with my sewing machine and am glad it is getting a lot of use these days, for more than just my scrapbook pages and albums.

After getting my pre-requisite photos of them in their costumes, we headed out into the night to accumulate as much candy as possible.

It was a cold evening, thanks to the freak snow day we had Saturday. Which also ruined our pumpkin patch plans. While Mason was fine in his outfit the whole night, Sophie only lasted the few houses on our cul-de-sac before wanting her coat.

Mason is a seasoned pro at Trick or Treating. It being Sophie's first real year, Mason was teaching her what to say and after the first few houses she caught on quickly. Putting her cuteness to work and milking our neighbors for all they were worth. At one point she fell, pretty hard. Tripping over her shoes and her pumpkin of candy rolling down the street. We made it to the next house, me carrying her and Sophie, using her tears to her benefit. For each whimper the lady but more candy into her bucket. I cut it off after the third or fourth handful. By the end of the evening Grandma and I had to carry their buckets for being so full of candy they were too heavy for the kids to carry anymore.

I think they really made out this year, as Mason's school assignment clearly indicated. He had to count the number of candy bars, lollipops and gum that he got. We counted 48 candy bars!

Well at least I now have enough bribes for them to last me through the new year. Either that or they might get so tired of candy by December they won't want to eat the rest. At least until next year.