what a week!

Today, the Halloween decorations came down...it was a sad, sad day in our house. (Although, a piece of Halloween candy quickly cured the heartache.) This was the first year that the kids were really pumped about Halloween. They really got in to it which made Kris and I even more excited about it. Thought I'd share a few highlights from the last week.

The weekend before Halloween, I received an email from Old Navy informing customers of their Freaky Fun Day (sorry for not passing along the info through the blog...didn't even cross my mind to do so at the time). Sam and I headed out bright and early that Saturday morning because this mama can't resist a deal. We scored four, long-sleeved Halloween t-shirts, two Old Navy logo t-shirts and a football for $6.63! One of my best shopping trips to date! The Halloween shirts added to the two I posted last weekend had the kids festively outfitted for the entire week with minimal laundry.
On the big day, I was able to catch Sam's Halloween party at school. I also caught a little bit of Grace's, but quickly realized that she's a basket case at school if I am there. She basically went into some sort of trance, mumbling over and over again, "go bye-bye with mama". It was pretty ridiculous, so I finally decided it would just be best if I cut her off and went back to Sam's room.

Sam lined up with his class to head out trick-or-treating at the office building across the parking lot.

After they got back from trick-or-treating, one of the other moms took on the task of giving all the kids fake tatoos. Each child lined up and received one on his or her hand. When it was Sam's turn, though, he pulled up his pant leg. When I asked him what he was doing, he said that he wanted his tatoo where Uncle Gavin had his! :)

On Halloween night, our friends, Tim and Liz, came over for chili and trick-or-treating. Liz and I took the kids out to a few houses in the neighborhood while Tim and Kris passed out candy (and Play-doh!). Sam happened upon a boy dressed as a Tennessee football player at the first house we went to. He rushed right over to him to announce to the kid, "You are so awesome!" We were pleasantly surprised to run into one of Sam's classmates and her parents while touring the neighborhood...turns out they live just around the corner from us.

We're thinking of grilling out next year and making a little more of a driveway party out of it. Kentucky has great Halloween weather...a far cry from what we were used to in Ohio and Michigan. Check out Grace in the next two pics...our little ladybug thief stealing the goodies that were out for the other trick-or-treaters! And she looked so cute and innocent!

And in the midst of it all (well, Tuesday, to be exact), Grace decided she was old enough to wear underwear. And she went to school with her big girl pants and had no accidents that day! She's had a few since, but is (for the most part) doing really well! I can't believe we are almost out of the diaper stage...after going so long with double diapers in our house, it feels a little surreal!

Now begins our countdown to Thanksgiving...I'm not sure I'll be able to take three weeks of being asked every day whether that day is the day Aunt Sarah, Uncle Nate, Caleb, Grandma and Papa are coming...