our halloween 2012

Halloween.  Smooshed right in between Maximus's birthday and Samuel's birthday.  Three big deals that I would love to savor but don't always do it like I want to.  

Costumes.  Let's start with the easiest first.  Well, it was the easiest to make because we didn't make it.  Samuel begged for it when we were at Kmart buying a weed whacker.  I thought Karl said yes and Karl thought I said yes.  It wasn't even on sale.  I never buy things that aren't on sale.  Somehow it ended up in our cart, and then our car (we paid for it, of course), and before we could figure out what happened, Samuel was ripping the package open and wearing the flimsy plastic mask.  So, it was the hardest costume as far as price and letting him wear it.  Felt like I was giving up.  But the most important thing is that he was just as please being a Kmart Samurai Power Ranger, as if we had spent hours working on a costume.  And when he stuck his tongue through that little breath hole, it totally brought back memories of clear back when I was in kindergarten and my friend kept sticking her tongue in the breath hole of her Underdog mask.  The technology on these flimsy masks held on by a thin elastic and staples has not changed in all these years.  Why change a good thing, right?

 Next up, Eva.  She knew she wanted to be the Statue of Liberty before we came back to Kauai so I stopped by the party store and picked up the head piece.  Goodness, sometimes I wish just stopping at the store that carries random things that I need for cheap.  Most of the time, I am fine, though.  An hour before the halloween party, I pulled some green fabric out of my stash and tied in on to her and she whipped up the torch (complete with a flashlight inside, clever girl) and her tablet. And now she is old enough that she can do the Google, too.  She she can find out exactly what it needed to look like.   

Finally, Maximus.  I wouldn't be able to top his sumo outfit from last year.  It was too perfect.  I thought he would be so cute as cuddly Totoro.  It did end up adorable.  Especially to the 7 people that knew who Totoro was.  They went crazy over him.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to build that thing from scratch.  I have limited skills and patience.  So, when I saw this shark costume for pretty cheap online, I thought it would be perfect.  It was the right color and shape.  All I had to do was alter it.  Quick, easy... right?  Not for me.  

A bajillion hours later, I finished what seemed like a simple project.  Seamstresses, everywhere, I commend you.  Even just looking at this picture makes me want to cuddle him.  He was Maximus plus he was in a fuzzy fluffy costume. He actually wore the costume.  He didn't complain and throw it off, like maybe he should have in this Hawaiian weather.  Maybe because he knew that his mom might cry because she spent her time on it.  

Okay, one more shot with Eva's stuffed Totoro sitting in the background.  

 All three Halloween kiddos together.  Older brother doing his job and teaching younger brother to do silly things like discreetly back into the bushes while mom is trying to take a photo.  And those ab muscles sticking through Sam's costume?  They didn't come in the costume.  

There was a little neighborhood party, where we got to see the other kids, eat a few appetizers, and take some photos.  

I went home and passed out glow sticks (our tradition since I can remember), and Karl took our crew around.  And since I did it when I was a kid, when they got home I made them dump out their stash for a photo.  And then for the first time in a long time, we sat back and watched our kids and thought how cute they were... Samuel blowing bubbles, Eva putting on the scary gloves and glasses and trying to scare an oblivious Maximus, Maximus eating any candy he could unwrap...  This is why we keep em' folks.  

The candy.  Lot's of people complain about all the candy. I used to be like that.  But now we kind of like candy.  I still know the sugar is bad but we just eat it, anyway.  Or, rather, I put it in jars and we eat all the good stuff.  I threw out heaps of easter, valentine, and even Christmas candy, to make room in jars for the Halloween loot.  I felt bad.  Not because we didn't eat it, but because we got it in the first place.  I think the getting is our favorite part.  Getting is so much fun.

Here is a little video snippet of my favorite part of the night.  You can't really hear it, but Eva and Samuel are trying to trade and Maximus is eating his (or rather, anyone's) candy as fast as he can.  

I get kind of bah humbug about Halloween.  It's a lot of overindulgence, overstimulation, and waste.  But now that the rush is over and all the decorations are down and costumes are put away, we have a few sweet memories that we wouldn't trade for anything.