Halloweening

It was a no-brainer that Dora and Theo chose Potter costumes this year, as they spent all summer imagining themselves in the wizarding world. Clark originally wanted to be a bat, then changed his mind to a cat when they realized they could all go together. This was their first costume theme since they were a spider / flower / bumblebee back in preschool (but that was more of a happy accident that they all coordinated.) So, this year, we had ...



... a lovely Hermione ...



... a handsome Harry ...



... and a contemplative Crookshanks.

I was originally going to make Clark a costume from an orange sweatsuit and then found this costume at a thrift shop last week for three dollars. I wish it had just ears on the hood - I like when the kids' faces are the costume face - but the price, color, and size was too good to pass up. And Clark's worn it every day since it came home.



Dora had her hair crimped for a party over the weekend, but we didn't have time to do it for trick-or-treating. Which was fine, because this is what she looked like before we went out:



It was cold, but at least there was no snow! Those scarves came in handy! (And I am loving Theo in glasses. Just a matter of time ...)



And maa-aan, did they score. This was the first year that Clark actively participated in trick-or-treating. Last year, he just hung out in the stroller and Dora collected candy for him. Dora went out with friends for the first time this year and stayed out twice as long as we did, so she came home with an extra full bag. Going out with friends was not our favorite - I missed her too much, and she wanted to come home much sooner than she did ... we'll stick together next year. One bonus, though - with Theo as the oldest child, his personality just shone. He was the one leading the group from door to door, not just trailing behind Dora. I had a fantastic time with him, cracking jokes and making conversation with us all evening.



Theo's traditional jack o'lantern and Clark's puppy pumpkin. Dora's had unfortunately rotted out by the time we carved (any advice on keeping pumpkins fresh or picking the best ones?) so her grand plans for a Harry Potter portrait were reduced to a single lightning bolt, which still looked pretty cool. Happy Halloween!