Our family's Halloween

I have never enjoyed Halloween more in my life that I have by celebrating with Amelia and John. The kids love the festivities that surround Halloween so much, and I feel like a lot of the credit is due to our spirited community that goes all out to celebrate this holiday. It's always such a fun time of year for our family, and this year was no exception thanks to the beautiful weather on Halloween day.

We started things off with Pumpkin Day at John's school. University Park Elementary is the only school in our district that invites each child to bring a decorated pumpkin to display on the Pumpkin Walk outside of the school. So this fun and festive event is largely embraced by the families that live in our district. 

This year John made a "two-tiered snowman pumpkin with a rainbow afro wig and a crazy rainbow loom necklace". OK, I was fine with this. While I didn't completely understand John's choice, we went with it. And I was very proud that John painted the pumpkins and came up with this idea completely by himself. No helicopter parenting from me on this one.

Two of my favorite pumpkins on display were a little more elaborate than John's. I wonder if the parents helped their kids with these at all - hmmm? Nevertheless, they were amazing. Check out Nathan's ballon pumpkin below!

And this double-stacked ice cream cone! How fun!

After school Amelia and John got ready for trick-or-treating. Amelia's costume was "It's raining cats and dogs!" and John was a "crazy blue morph suit man with rainbow afro wig and rainbow loom necklace". Do you see the synergy between John's snowman pumpkin and his Halloween costume? How very efficient of John. 

I am proud of the fact that Amelia and John came up with their costumes all on their own. I love that , Amelia sewed the animals to the umbrella by herself and that John felt free to express his creativity with this strange get-up. Amelia had a great night trick-or-treating with a friend and then enjoying a fun sleepover afterwards, and Scott and I took turns shepherding John and other young boys that live on our block around the neighborhood. Such a fun night!