Halloween 2015

Another Halloween come and gone.  Can anyone really believe it's November already?!?!

Halloween  has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Perhaps it's because it falls so close to my birthday but also because I have so many childhood memories of my Mom hand-making costumes for each of us kids.  There was always so much anticipation in regards to our costumes and she never did disappoint.  If you think I'm a decent seamstress then you haven't met my Mom.  She puts me to shame.  It should come as no surprise that she's now made two of Ryan's three Halloween costumes over the years.

As usual, I'm not exactly sure when I decided that I wanted Ryan to be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween, but once I got it in my head, I went full force and asked Grammy to make her a costume. Sure, there are plenty of Little Red costumes out there for girls, but I envisioned a beautiful red cape with lace and a matching dress and I just had to have a handmade one.  We picked out materials while she was here in September for Rory's arrival and she took the stuff back to California to make it. Mom did a FANTASTIC job of making my vision come to life.  I was a tad concerned that Ryan wouldn't want to wear the cape and hood but she actually loved it and every time the hood fell off she said "My hood come off!"

Of course, I wanted Rory to match Ryan and so Rory was the Little Bad Wolf.  Poor girl had to be a wolf for her first Halloween, but she was the cutest little wolf you ever did see!

The girls had a couple of opportunities to wear their costumes in the last few weeks including a costume 2nd birthday party for our friend Bella, a trunk-or-treat through our Mom's Club, and of course, Halloween.

On Halloween, we carved pumpkins, which Ryan was surprisingly uninterested in.  She must take after her Dad in that respect, I'll have to work on her for next year.  I had lofty goals of getting a great shot of Rory sitting in a pumpkin like I did on Ryan's first Halloween, however, she was NOT a fan of the pumpkin.  Though it's possible the pictures are just as priceless.

Josh had to work Halloween night, so I took Ryan trick-or-treating around our little neighborhood.  She took to it very quickly and was so cute going door to door collecting treats.  Thankfully, she hasn't completely realized that what she was getting from every house was candy and so I got to pick through it myself.  I'm sure this won't be the case next year.

We had such a great Halloween and it is getting so fun to have children who are at the age to actually understand holidays and really enjoy them.  Now on to Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Patch "ing"

Pumpkin "Patching."  Yes, "Patching," I've made it a verb because it is most definitely something that you DO!  And when you are my offspring or are married to me, you are basically required to do it well.  I will say that throughout the almost 10 years that Josh and I have celebrated Halloween together, I have drug him to some sort of pumpkin patch every year except when we lived in Grenada and England.  If there had been pumpkin patches we would have gone, but there wasn't.  And in all of those years, Josh has only complained about going EVERY SINGLE TIME.  And you can forget helping me carve them after they arrive at home.

However, apparently the pixies of fall must have sprinkled some Halloween dust on Josh this year because he actually SUGGESTED that we go to a pumpkin patch with the kids (can I just say it's really strange to say the word "kids") on his day off last weekend.  I think my jaw might have hit the floor but you don't have to ask me twice.  It was the perfect fall day, sunny and rather warm and he wasn't even irritated with my poor planning when we showed up at West End Creamery And Family Farm an entire hour before it opened!  Mom. Fail.

I had taken Ryan here last year and she did have fun, but let's be honest, it was probably more for me.  However, at 2 years old, she was able to thoroughly enjoy all of the farm's attractions except the Barnyard Jump bounce house ( you have to be 3) and I would have avoided that anyway.  One broken leg is enough for me this year lifetime.

She especially loved the corn crib (a sandbox full of corn kernels) in which Dad entertained us both by taking a "corn shower" and which Ryan was fully intent on imitating despite the fact that I was then picking pieces of corn out of her pig tails for the rest of the afternoon.  I know she loved it because even a week later, she keeps talking about "corns in her hair and her toesies."

We also took a short trip through the corn maze and Ryan rode on the cow tractor all by herself which made me slightly nervous but she did great and it only further made me realize how old she is getting.

All four of us had lunch and then since Rory was out of the carseat/stroller already, we

decided it was time to take the hayride out to the Patch for pumpkin picking.  We told Ryan she could get any pumpkin she could carry and we all enjoyed picking out some pumpkins to take home.

We had a really great time at the pumpkin patch and Ryan has now insisted on counting, sitting next to, kissing, and hugging her pumpkins on a daily basis.  It makes leaving the house take at least 10 minutes longer than the already ridiculous amount of time that it usually takes.  But I suppose it's worth it.  I hope Josh will be just as enthusiastic about carving them this weekend or next!

Hocus Pocus...

....and other Halloweenie type things.

My parents have been here in Massachusetts since Saturday and we have been going non-stop since they got here.  Although, I suggested they go off to explore Plymouth, MA on Wednesday on their own so that I could give Ryan a day off from sightseeing.  Poor girl has been such a trooper the past week.

Let's see, Saturday they arrived bright and early and we attended my churches Harvest Festival where Grammy won Ryan her first pet, a goldfish, lovingly named "Fish."  We'll see how long Mommy can keep Fish alive.

Sunday after church, we went to West End Creamery & Family Farm to pick pumpkins.  Josh was sleeping most of the day in preparation for his night of work so he was absent but the four of us had a good time rolling around in the "corn crib."  It's basically a sand box full of corn kernels and it was quite entertaining, though Ryan was a bit unsure about the whole thing.

Then we picked pumpkins!  One of my very favorite things to do.  I look forward to it every year and I hope hope hope Ryan will inherit my love for pumpkin picking, that's why you start em young!

Lift with your legs Ry!

We spent Monday in Salem, MA.  Our preparation for spending the day in Salem was watching the Halloween classic movie Hocus Pocus the night before.  And I would be lying if I didn't admit that one of the highlights of the day was seeing Town Hall in the middle of Derby Square where the parent's costume party took place at in the movie.

Salem Town Hall

I imagine that anytime you visit the city of Salem, it is a little strange because of all the witch craft vibes that surround the city.  But when you go to Salem during the week of Halloween, you are hitting prime time Salem weirdness.  I had been warned prior to going, so the fact that there were witches on the street and a possible Siamese twin sighting was not that surprising.  The city is in fact really cute and extremely historical and it was the most perfect Massachusetts fall day to go exploring.

We spent Tuesday in the Worcester area.  I took Mom and Dad to the rail trail where I run regularly with my girlfriends.  So many of the leaves have now fallen off the trees and it was probably one of the nicest fall days that we've had here so far.  All the fallen leaves made for Ryan's very own personal playground.

On Thursday, we went in to Boston for the day.  I really love this city.  We enjoyed the duck pond and gardens as well as walked the Freedom Trail (or most of it) and ate lunch at Cheers.  Overall, such a fun day with perfect weather which always makes things better.

Now I guess it's time to welcome the month of November.  And prepare myself for the beginning of winter, especially since it's supposed to snow tonight.  OMG.  Toto, I don't think we are in California anymore.