Halloween!

My dad makes a big fuss over Halloween every year. We're talking hundreds and hundreds of dollars have been put into transforming the entire yard into a cemetery (not to mention all the hundreds of hours setting everything up.) Since his yard is such an ordeal and a tradition that's where we were headed first thing this year. We helped carve and place 36 pumpkins around the yard, spread cobwebs, prep candles, and about a zillion other small but time extensive tasks to prepare for the big night. Poor Andrew (who had an ankle reconstruction surgery on the 22nd and couldn't do much) was stuck on my parent's sofa for most of the day playing my brother's Wii and watching TV.



James (who would live outside if I let him) went and played in the leaves with my sister and cousins. He quickly decided he did not like the feel of the leaves on his hands. Every time he put a hand down to crawl he'd instantly pick it back up again and shake it to get the leaves sticking to him off. He did, however, like to "help" with raking the leaves. I think he might've been able to help if the rake hadn't been 6 times as long as he was!



He also decided to push his stroller around the driveway by holding onto the basket in the back. He tripped over a crack in the cement and took quite a stumble (as you can see by the big bump on his forehead). His cousin (who was helping him in his endeavors) felt SO bad about it. Equally bad bruises have been attained while I have been watching him so I told her not to worry. He cried for quite awhile and when it was time to get in costumes looked like he should've been a zombie rather than a bat but I think he was still cute.



We took pictures with all costumed kids, teens, and, of course, my dad, then started trick-or-treating. My family congregates at my parent's house and we all trick-or-treat together so the kids can travel in a large pack and the parents can converse so I had the pleasure of being able to laugh with 2 of my aunts, 2 of my uncles, my mom, and about 7 kids. It was a riot! James was a little overstimulated and wiggly until he got his first sucker and started eating it. It was love at first taste and he was sticky but happy the rest of the night.



We finished the night by visiting Andrew's family at his parent's house where they have a party every year. James was able to exhaust the rest of his sugar-hyped energy by playing with his cousins and after a long day we went to bed. Only 364 days until next Halloween!!!