Trick-Or-Treat Yo' Self!

You guys.  I love Halloween so much.  And having kids makes it so much better.  I love spending the whole month talking about spooky things and checking out decorations at Halloween stores.  Trick-or-treating with them is one of the greatest things ever.  And creating costumes for them has added this whole new piece of fun for me.
Jonny's still young enough that I can plant in her mind what she is going to be and she will be super excited about it.  Atticus chose his own costume after much agonizing over the decision.  For a while he was thinking of being Zombie Michael Jackson from Thriller, but then went with a spooky ghost.  We got some ideas from Pinterest and it was a pretty easy and cheap costume to make.  Atticus and I both loved it.  It really was so spooky.

We took advantage of the creepy abandoned house next door.

A haunting in Massachusetts.

I asked Dan if he could make some red glowing eyes and he totally came through with some LEDs with a switch that Atticus could keep in his pocket.  We hooked them to some Harry Potter glasses Atticus could wear and they were awesome!

You would run if you saw him coming at you.

Jonny went as Mary Poppins.  Mostly because I've wanted a completely amazing Mary Poppins costume for myself for years (the Jolly Holiday dress) and I couldn't resist a tiny little Mary Poppins outfit.  I didn't make much of Jonny's costume this time.  I crocheted the scarf and I added things to the hat.  I also covered a cooler bag with fabric to make the carpet bag.  And then I bought/assembled the rest.  It turned out practically perfect in every way, and by the time Halloween rolled around, Jonny was obsessed with Mary Poppins.  (I maybe took way too many pictures of her.)

This was the first time she tried on the whole costume.  She was so pleased.

"That will be quite enough of that, Thank you."

It's upside down but she is clearly flying with her umbrella.

 Scary Mary

You maybe can't tell, but Atticus is smiling, too.

Their scary faces.

And their scared faces.

Jonny and I mother-boy(ed) it this year and I went as Bert.  Made myself a little chimney sweeper and the rest of the costume was easy enough.

Dan made himself an LED arc reactor so he could go as Tony Stark.

So I don't think any Halloween experience will ever compare to trick-or-treating on Beacon Hill.  I didn't want it to end and I'm already so excited to go back next year. I was just so charmed by everything.  Beacon Hill in Boston is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the country.  Beautiful brick buildings, tiny little streets, and wonderfully nice people.

The houses and streets were decorated to the nines and the people all sat out on their stoops with bowls full of candy.  Everyone (save one grumpy lady at an overly crowded house) was so gracious, kind, and so happy and interactive with each kid.  There were houses that offered water bottles for parents, a table set up at one corner handing out cider and donuts.  And at one house they even brought out a glass of wine for one dad who had commented on the home owner's glasses.  We asked one couple handing out candy how many trick-or-treaters they get each year, they said they usually spend a few thousand on candy each year.  A few thousand!  And that was at a house that just had regular fun-sized candy.  There were several houses giving out full size candy bars.
I read somewhere that there is something good to be said about the people living on Beacon Hill because they are some of the wealthiest people in the country and yet they choose to live in cramped houses with faulty plumbing and limited parking.  After what we experienced, I agree.  They were all wonderful people.  Sorry, I just really can't get over what a perfectly charming Halloween experience it was.  I need to convince my dad (who loves Halloween) to come out next year.  And I'm pretty sure it will have to be a priority to fly out each year after we've moved from Boston.

We met up with a big group from our ward at the Public Gardens in Boston at 4:30 (because that's the scheduled start time for trick-or-treating on Beacon Hill) and after even more pictures, we headed over.

P.S. Atticus could totally see.  The black fabric over his face was pretty sheer, it's just hard to tell from even a couple feet away.

Trying out his glowing red eyes for the first time.

Make Way For Mary Poppins

We of course had to stop every 16 feet to take more pictures because everything was so amazing.

Jonny's carpet bag quickly got too heavy with candy for her to carry herself.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the decorated houses.

A ghost on Acorn Street!

A ghost on Acorn Street again, I guess!

By the time we got to the beautiful and amazingly decorated Louisburg Square, it was getting pretty dark, it was packed, and Jonny was done.  We called it a night.  And made it home with plenty of time to eat dinner.  That's the best kind of trick-or-treat schedule if you ask me.