Monday, October 31, 2011

And in the morning...I'm making waffles!

This year we went as Shrek, Fiona -- and donkey. I felt the insane urge to try and emulate my mother by sewing Ellie's costume myself from scratch. Let's just say I watched an embarrassing amount of vampire diaries while holed up in our office/craft room, me swearing at my sewing machine and the downy loft of fur sticking to every surface ala "North and South" lung-disease style. I'm glad it's over and there was no way that Eleanor was not going to wear her hood and ears for pictures. Case closed.




Mike was a good sport. He wasn't exactly psyched about the face paint until I explained that the same paint could be used for face camo -- then his mood brightened.



We went to a cool Halloween party at our cousins, the Seely's, in Draper. They have a gigantic garage that we decorated for the event that was kept toasty warm. The kids had a great time exploring the haunted tunnel, going for a midnight "forest" walk around the house, bobbing for apples, and eating donuts on a string. My Dad was even able to join us as we was here for my brother's regional soccer tournament (go Aggies!). The only hiccup was that he only grabbed the scary Scream-mask of his costume...not the dark cloak that was meant to accompany it. So he looked like a haunted Lululemon yoggie instead.


I think she bit her fingers. Classic mishap....especially when teething!


Riley's prize-winning Mad  Hatter costume, ala Cheryl Cooney (actually, most of the best costumes around the room emerged from her costume shop!)



RAHHHH!!!!!!!!

the haunted cemetery (in the garage....)



Boo from Monsters Inc

witch -- glad my prized DI dress form could come to life!









The smiths -- Star Wars


 Megan and family were Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz characters, of course once the kids were set loose it was prolematic to rally them all for a picture!


 Elisa went as Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc with her cute belly.

 Britt, Kelly and James


 This is the obligatory after-party meltdown. And this is without any sugar....sigh....Ellie's new trick is to throw her body prostrate on the ground in a show of extreme protest against the current set of conditions.




Happy Halloween to all! 

When there's something strange...in the neighborhood...who you goin' call?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

We did the mash...

We have loved our gorgeous fall weather and have taken advantage of it to do lots of halloweening (yep...ive decided its now a verb, the act of going to pumpkin patches, dressing up in costume, dressing up in orange and black, taking LOTS of photos, continually adding to my halloween decorations because I can't get off pinterest...etc., etc.,)

Here are a few of my favorites. 




             
But I don't want to be a pirate!

this is when she saw a neighbor girl with a cookie...not even joking





not so sure about the John Deere, Dad was stoked on it...Ellie was withholding judgment at this time




first pony ride



playing in a dried corn box...we found bits of this corn more than 15 minutes later...still in her cheeks...such a little chipmunk...



daddy warming up her hands



getting colder...the owl hat is coming out


playing up at Gardner Village during the witchfest






I couldn't resist...I know its a lot of orange, and pumpkin...forgive me daughter of mine...


James enjoyed it too 

trying to escape at lunch, ellie loves crawling on pavement for some bizarre reason


and now we try to eat the rocks...yum...wasn't there some character in the Neverending story that did that?


new witch hat...totally frivolous-husband-eye-rolling purchase that I feel was 100% justified.

I rest my case.







All the crandall cousins -- such good sports!