Halloween 2011 Photo Fun

For the last few years, we have planted our own pumpkins.  That entails tilling up yard space and wrapping the planting bed with chickenwire to keep out the animals.  This year, we planted only two pumpkin plants, but they still took over most of the vegetabl garden.  We successfully pumped out four nice sized pumpkins and carved three of them (one became a squirrel feast post picking).  I don't think David really had a clue last year, so this was sort of his first jack-o-lantern experience.  He loved the whole process.  Carving, scooping, roasting the seeds, making a big mess.  He was also happy to pose with our harvest:

The final product was the brainchild of Maria,who helped me draw and carve the ghost and goblin pumpkins.  We used a little jig-saw-like tool to get pretty detailed.

Maria then carved the third one all on her own and refused any help.  She stuck with this project all day, then carried her pumpkin to the porch next to the birthday present that MT had the kids buy for her, (the light green bow was Maria and David's modification).   

Now for the real festivities.  Maria tought David to say a variation on the classic kids' trick or treat lierick, so he can now recite the following: "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.  If you don't I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear."  Sometimes, he goes for the short version: Trick or treat, I'll pull down your underwear," and sometimes he throws in a different, worse? threat: "or I'll pull down MY underwear." 

David wore his construction worker costume. (As you know, he wore it with jeans, and without a skirt, after much cajoling.)  The lollipop came from our basket of candy and was one for the road that David snagged before leaving to go trick or treating.  When she saw this picture on snapfish, my sister was surprised that they would allow smoking at the work site.  Maybe he was a construction worker from 1965. Or from Wisconsin.

Maria decided very early on that she wanted to be Charlotte, from Charlotte's web.  We tried (unsuccessfully) for the last month and a half to make David go as Wilbur.  After he said yes at first, he realized that going as a pig was not anywhere near as fun as dressing up as a digger driver.  "I don't want to be Wilbuh.  You be Wilbuh.  I want to be a 'Struction Worker."  Here she is, as Charlotte in the costume that my mom created (complete with the boots that my Mom sent her-they light up and have become her preferred daily footwear).

Since no Charlotte could possibly be complete without an award-winning pig, Rajah was Wilbuh.  Too bad the doggie pig costume that I found online was really more of a hamster pig costume.  Insistent, I stuffed poor Rajah's face into the costume and we had our Wilbur. 

After the initial neighborhood runthrough, we met up with Dorothy and Toto.  Actually there were two Totos.  Dorothy had one in a basket (of course) and her little brother was the second.  He was Toto, dressed as a giant green dragon, natch.

Another great Halloween.  Well, I guess I wouldn't call cleaning up the pumpkin puddle (bio-fuel?) that was left in our porch 2 weeks after Halloween "great," but other than that, it was great.