Tacos!

Since I am a super lame mom I'm using another photo from my friend Gretchen. She took great photos of our kids on Halloween. Here's a picture of Bryn and her good friend Morgynn.

Bryn's costume may warrant a little explanation. She is Gir from Invader Zim in his dog costume. So basically her costume is a cartoon character's costume. My head was spinning when I was told by Bryn that she wanted me to make her Gir costume. Despite my reservations it worked out perfect. Hunter's old neon sweatshirt was the perfect base. We took the zipper off and sewed up the front and then added the felt pieces. She can even where it as a sweatshirt now that Halloween is over. The girl has vision.

Caaaaannnnndddyyyyy

zombie #1. the picture is by our good friend gretchen.

The Great Pumpkin Carve

The Great Pumpkin Carve evening began with a super tasty dinner of Gorgonzola Potato Salad and BLT sandwhiches. The highlight of the BLTs were Colleen's Spicy Tomato Chutney. The recipe is so yummy.

Then it was dream, design and carve.


kowai - scary
by sayo


devil and posh kitty
started by gray and bryn
finished by mako and sean


neko - cat
by mako

spider on a pumpkin - on a pumpkin

aidan inspired

carved by micah

hope

carved by micah for sarah (thank you!)

The Big Night

Dinner with Holly Hobbles' family and friends.

Great work out for kids while running from house to house.

Received $5 Golden Tickets from the owners of Pix Patisserie while trick-or-treating. Truly golden for the adults.

First year where all 3 kids understood what was going on and enjoyed every minute of it.

Any PDX parent would tell you that we had the best trick-or-treating weather ever!!

25 minutes of late night shampooing to get little ms. vampire's black hair paint out.

2 digital cameras being repaired (yes, because I broke both of them) and one video camera with a missing charger. ugh!

Waiting for brother to email Halloween pics.

Funny Halloween story that I remember...... My mother was driving home with my little brother Tommy (approximately age 4) and he was SO excited for Halloween that night. The kind of excited where you can't sit still. My mom asked him if he was ready for all the candy. His eyes grew huge with amazement and exclaimed, "You get candy too?" ~ Because shouldn't getting dressed up and going door-to-door be enough?

Halloween Bash "Final Comments"

I've never been anything mean or naughty for Halloween. My favorite non-childhood costumes up to this point were a Pirate and a Pea Pod (to match the Jolly Green Giant). Being part the Reservoir Dolls was a lot of fun and helped fill my secret desire of wanting to be a Roller Derby Girl. I'll never forgot the day while browsing in Goodwill talking to Penny Traitor by cellphone and squealing with delight over finding the perfect clothing items to wear with my Sarah Smashmouth outfit. Now that I've actually worn the entire outfit for several hours I am much more in awe of the real Roller Derby girls who not only have to wear their outfits but actually play a bout in them. Do you think they'll kick me out if I wear my outfit to preschool skate with Grayson? I've got to find an excuse to wear it again.

We're getting ready for Random Man, Little Miss Vampire, and Batman's Wednesday appearance.

Halloween Bash "Reservoir Dolls"

Reservoir Dolls Roller Derby Team

Team Roster (left to right):
Sarah Smashmouth
Holly Hobbles
Penny Traitor
Pushy Galore
Bubble Vicious


Holly Hobbles showing off the Reservoir Dolls team shirt


Sarah Smashmouth and Pushy Galore


Our refs Seymour Cleavage & Naughty and Nice


Pushy Galore with husband Seymour Cleavage


Mascot Mr. Black with wife Sarah Smashmouth


Unfortunately, our party host Bubble Vicious was sent to the hospital that evening with a fractured ankle. She is recovering and continues to root her team on.

Halloween Bash "The Others"

le couple d'expressions français (ooh la la... the cutest couple)


the sweetest ballerina


ooh la la with the most beautiful mermaid


el duche


as his box reads "decapitator"


a little disturbing but very entertaining

Only 1 week till the big day!

not so black bird

some pre-halloween thoughts...

current favorite halloween movies to watch with the kids are casper the friendly ghost, monster house or any scooby doo flick...

my mother always made potato soup on halloween. i crave it to this day. unfortunately, i don't get to make it on halloween because no one in my house likes potatoes but me...

scarier movies i can't wait to watch with my kids when they're older are gremlins, tremors, watcher in the woods, something wicked this way comes and the legend of sleepy hollow...

when a tween if we ever procrastinated putting together a costume we always seemed to end up as hobos...

i loved being a hula girl in 5th grade...

black cats are in this year. especially vintage remakes. i love seeing them everywhere. black birds next year?

Halloween Swap

I received my Halloween Swap treats in the mail this weekend! It all looks so great on my mantle. I received two packets of the cutest Halloween themed tags. I've been looking everywhere for a Halloween garland this year and immediately strung the tags on a black ribbon. Just what I had been looking for. And the vintage cat face. So cute. Finally, see the ghosts on the cover of the book? We are making those with the kids these week to hang above the mantle as well. Mesh screen, tissue paper and spray adhesive. Already using a recipe from the book for a Halloween party this week. Thanks so much Elizabeth!

Carnival Night

Their neon yellow bands are on and these kids are excited because it's carnival night!

Upon entering the school building I was instantly transported back in time to my childhood Halloween school carnival. The second most anticipated event of the year. The Strawberry Festival boasting the "World' Largest Shortcake" was of course the first.



The carnival was not only fun but educational like the year they did silhouettes and I consciously realized for the first time that I really do have a pointy chin. Or, that 7th and 8th grade girls are drama queens. I'm not a super fan of haunted houses and I don't like to touch peeled grapes that are suppose to be eyes or wet spaghetti for something I'm assuming should have been inside the body.



They had all the games of my past like the lollipop tree, bean bag toss, spinning wheel, and most importantly the Cake Walk. The one in 40 chance that you will be so lucky to walk away with such an exquisite homemade delight that your parents could not deny you because you had won it and it was yours. The modern day cake walk still had all the fun, music and excitement but unfortunately the homemade delight no longer exists due to food handling laws. Nowadays children get to pick from an assortment of Oreos, Twinkies, doughnuts, and those awful cardboard tasting store made sugar cookies. Oh how I'll miss that decorative long table full of butter cream frosted round and 9x13 cakes.



The biggest surprise of the night was the realization that Gray has never experienced real cotton candy. He devours cotton candy ice cream but hand him a stick of pink puffy stuff and he will freak out. Two hands over his mouth and head shaking side to side. Good thing there were plenty of us to devour that yummy sweet pink stuff for him.



Tonight my adult eyes saw aging games that are pulled out year after year for who knows how many decades, countless hours given by dedicated parents, hundreds of plastic toys that break within 24hours, sweaty kids running around and Friday tired parents. Despite what my adult eyes saw tonight I remembered the carnival through my 10-year old eyes and knew that my children's memories would forever feel the same excitement and enthusiasm as I did tonight.

Thanks for the invite Fruits Family we ALL had a blast. Hoping for a yearly tradition.

The Birds

Not that it would be hard to guess but yes we are the type of family that dream up, plan, collect, decorate and document a crazy Halloween theme. One only has to see the ketchup blood coming from the skeleton's eye sockets to know that there were many great ideas provided by all during the assembly of The Birds themed front porch. Of course the kids have no idea who Alfred Hitchcock is or that there was even a movie made about very angry violent birds and they're still a little wary of the porch and the flock of black birds. What is it about those birds?


Last year Mr. Skeleton was a dead pirate amongst his treasure. Poor guy just can't get a break.


The lone red shoe.

The Birds!

A little preview of something I'm working on for the Halloween Swap. I'm all about The Birds this season.

EAT A LIME!!!

Shiver me timbers! I can't believe I forgot today was "Talk Like a Pirate Day." Thanks Kelly for reminding me. I was going to save this post for Halloween month (I mean October) but what a perfect day to talk about a mild obsession of mine.

I think it all started about two years ago when I discovered Captain Bogg and Salty who are actually one of my favorite bands now (Yes, I know it's meant for kids.). It started as an interest because Hunter was into it and then as each child grew older and they were also interested in pirates it became a family affair. Don't worry you won't see me parading my kids around and traveling to monthly pirate festivals. I do know the difference between fun and craaaaazy! However, a strong interest in something family friendly is fun and the band is definitely worth checking out. You can check out their first music video online and they can be seen this weekend at the 2nd Annual Portland Pirate Festival. Since I'm plugging them they also wrote and will perform the music for the upcoming Oregon Children's Theater play "The Ghosts of Treasure Island". I've been dying to read Treasure Island with Hunter but I'm going to wait until a few weeks before we go see the play next April.


Here's a picture from last Halloween of Aunty Lulu with the Stephens Band of Pirates: Graybeard, The Dreaded Elizabeth and Captain Hunter.




Yes, I do own two pairs of Jolly Roger shoes made by Mia Shoes.

This test will scientifically determine your pirate name. I'm Dirty Mary Flint.

Less scientific but you'll still get a great pirate name.

How to decode Pirate Talk.

How to talk like a pirate.

Godspeed!

Opening Day of Halloween Season

The next 12 days of Halloween prep include:
1. Go to the house of the old guy on oxygen.
2. Snag free wood.
3. Find more black feathered friends.
4. Tip over some outdoor furniture.
4. Superhero adjustments.
5. Find size 7.5 women's roller skates.
6. Find bustiere (that fits).
7. Enjoy Martha's new tricks and treats.
8. Finish reading MAKE (where I got my Halloween inspiration this year).
9. Start a Halloween Phantom this year.