Happy Halloween!

getting stuffed - these came out 20 minutes later because it was hot and the costume kept riding up over her diaper

trick or treat!

the crew at home base

riding in style

on the road again

she carried this mini pumpkin that she got at the first house almost the whole time

Aunt Bri taking a turn

this house had a guy waiting to scare people just beyond that curtain - Luke announced that a little baby was coming in, so the guy just sat there and wouldn't give any candy...what a grinch!

Daddy's turn - he struck out 5 houses in a row - no one home

Check out my face - it's because the old lady to my left had just flashed her old lady hiney. Yikes!

This was Avery's first trick-or-treat-ing Halloween, so we took full advantage of it, although all of the candy will make it's way to work with Luke this week, hopefully. We started a tradition last year of camping out at my sister's house with my other sister and her fiance, handing out candy to the kids in her neighborhood. This year my parents drove in as well, and we ordered pizza and set up shop on the driveway.

Details on her costume: I wanted to make it, but needed something easy because I'm no master seamstress. I found a pattern for a bubble suit for a bumblebee or ladybug and adapted it for this costume, and the total cost for it all came in under $10 for the brown flannel, the purse, and some costume jewelry. We had everything else at home already. I sewed the face pieces out of felt, glued earring backs on two buttons for "pearl earrings", sewed felt high heel shoe covers, and stuffed her with plastic bags. All face pieces were safety pinned onto the costume so I could move them about if I wanted to. We tried gloves, to complete the look of Mrs. Potato Head's hands, but they were too bulky, and we also ditched the shoe covers because they kept spinning around.

Avery didn't quite understand what was going on, but it didn't take long for her to figure out that people were giving her things to put in her purse, and then she just started helping herself. She was very polite at each house, telling everyone "thank you" and "bye-bye". One older gentleman scared her a little bit, but once he held the candy out, she was ready to make nice - let's hope that doesn't become a habit!

We spent the previous night at a Trunk or Treat at an area high school where she quickly won over the cheerleaders. She is quite the charmer. Plus, her pic should show up in the local newspaper this week!