halloweeeeeeen!!

first, there was the preschool party! we were mystery incorporated, the scooby doo crime solvers. but at the last minute, james ditched the scooby doo costume and dressed as darth vader. only 3 mystery solvers remained, and ramona was an adorable daphne.


(for your reference...)


then there was the neighborhood party, and even though david and i hung in there with our scooby doo character costumes, both kids were pulled away by movies characters who currently have a strangle-hold on the entire nation. james returned to darth vader. ramona was princess elsa.

 
holy smokes, i love all these little kiddos.


AND THEN, there was trick or treating. and there was a surprise--nay, shocking--last minute costume change. we came home after the party to light the pumpkin candles and set out the big bowl of candy, and the kids snuck upstairs and changed into captain america and scary skeleton garb. (the facial skeleton make up? that was all me.) i'll tell you what: this is just the sort of thing that happens when your kids have this many different costume/dress up clothes. i mean, what were we expecting?


a ready house


both of these guys were part of our trick or treating crew, and both were king triton from the little mermaid. i just love that they're standing there, both holding their 4 year old daughters' red ariel wigs. i also really love that we've stumbled into friendships with our neighbors, who love dressing up in family costumes as much as we do. this many awesome fun friends living down the street and around the corner make us feel tremendously lucky.


trick or treating was more fun than EVER this year. maybe more fun than when we were kids, even? just watching the childrens' joy, running, sprinting!, from house to house with all their friends. we wandered about in a crowd of cheery dressed up parents in costume, carrying our mulled ciders and having a genuinely good time visiting all of our neighbors' houses. 

running!


begging for candy!


but the cutest part? when ramona decided she had enough candy (!!) and was tired, shewent home with david. james and i finished up the block we were on and turned the corner to head home on baldwin. james realized if he knocked on the door of our own house, ramona would answer and give him candy. so he did, and she did, and my heart melted from watching the sweet interaction. for the next hour, both kids answered the door and gave out candy to each trick or treater, and watching them enjoy giving candy was such a treat.