So, I like family themed Halloween costumes. It gets really hard though when you are a family of 7. But I came up with an idea and I was able to make it work! Tell me what you think.
We won 1st prize for a family category of the costume contest :) Captain Hook, the Croc, Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and 2 lost 'girls' (remember the twin racoons in the cartoon?)
Wouldn't be Lost Boys without being a little rambunctious right?
Wendy
I had to buy Tinker Bells outfit but I think I only paid 4.50 for it.
This Tink is a little rough on her wings
These two uncooperative raccoons don't hold still well for pictures. In all the pictures like this: Cadence on the left, London on the right.
Aunt Corrine, check out those bellies.
Where's Cadence?
There she is! Look how delighted she is to surprise us .
Clearly they don't understand that peeking is not a part of peek-a-boo
I made their ears out of felt. I made two individual ears so I could clip them into their pig tails. 1 year olds DO NOT leave headbands on. We also made their tail out of a grey sock and electrical tape.
My costume cost $1. We bought that oh so unflattering hat at the dollar store. We made a clock from cardboard (hanging from my neck) and I already owned the T-shirt.
I made Wendy's nightgown. It was such a simple pattern I whipped together while I was visiting Millie's family. My mom coached me because I don't know how to follow a pattern. Now that Halloween is over, she uses it as a nightgown.
I also made this whole outfit with my mom coaching me. We had left the pattern piece to the hat at my parents house so I couldn't make it with mom's help. When she got home she emailed me the piece and I tried making it. Quinn and I together had the hardest time understanding the pattern so I ended up just kinda doing it the way I thought it should go. It actually turned out pretty good but it was tiny. So the next night Quinn found a pattern made out of felt. I had to change the size to make it fit but it turned out so great. And the feather I brought all the way from Indiana from one of Brighten and Jemmy's chickens. PS. I made this costume so that it could be either Peter Pan or Robin Hood for him.
Captain
Hook turned out quite well I think. I found that hat at Goodwill and
the shirt I also got at Goodwill. I just looked for a bigger/longer one
than he normally wears. The belt came from another second hand store and
the skinny jeans..... are mine. Everything including the sword and hook
made
his costume cost about $18.
Notice Peter is fighting this Cod fish with one hand behind his back.
Robyn called us the evening of September 29th and told us she had a plane ticket and was flying in the next day to see us. Wow that was fast! She arrived the next night which was a Friday and stayed with us until Tuesday. She is so involved with the kids. She read to them many times. Baby sat one night so Quinn and I could go shopping for some new clothes for Quinn. We watched conference and went to a pumpkin patch with her. She bought Gensie some jammies for her bday. Then she bought all 3 of the other girls jammies as well and bought McKay a sweat pant hoodie set. It was very kind of her. And of course we played 2-10.
We had a great time with her here, and it worked out to be good timing. I flew out the next day (Wednesday) to spend some time with my sister in Indiana. So one party ended just before another one began! That's the way I like to roll :)
Grandma read with the kids A LOT. You will see a few pictures of this scene a number of different times :)
Playing Monopoly JR with the kids.
Cadence
Cadence would put things on her head because she knew it made Grandma laugh. It is so fun to listen to Robyn giggle at things our kids do.
London
Grandma got on her phone and looked up cute food ideas to make with the kids with all of them camped around her giving their input. Then we ran to the store and got the ingredients and Grandma and the kids made cauliflower pizza, and rice crispy monsters.
Grandma taking one of her 15 min power naps but she had a couple visitors during this one. She said she could feel them watching her.
Twins are a handful to hold onto when they both want to go in different directions.
We went to the pumpkin patch on Monday. Turns out that was the one day they don't do hayrides out to the pumpkin patch. But that was ok because they charge $5 or $6 apiece to ride and to do everything else. We didn't get a ride but we got to walk out to the pumpkin patch, go through the straw maze, explore a petting zoo; all for free. And we were almost the only ones there so we had free rein of the place.
This campout is one of McKay's favorite things. He is usually asking about the next time we are going to go to Father and Sons as soon as we are driving away. He loves it, and so do I.
This year was a little different though. Our stake decided to not do a campout, but rather have a dinner and program at a park behind our church! In fact, it was not announced that this was to be the case until 2 weeks before the 'campout'. I was surprised and disappointed, and knew it would break McKay's heart. So I decided to do our own thing. And then I decided to invite others. :) There ended up being 3 other fathers with their sons who came along, and we had a great time.
Avonlea really wanted to come too.
These poor girlies did not want to be left behind. They were determined to go with the boys. Lele is all set with her boots on.
McKay has been really needing a pocket knife. He has asked many times for one. We want to get him one but feel when he lives in a cooped up area like we do and doesn't have enough appropriate things to carve on that more harm will be done than good. So, we got him a wooden pocket knife to use as a training knife. We gave it to him right before they left for the father and sons.
Looking for fish
We went to Battleground Lake State Park. It is a great little place; a small lake, swimming area, hiking trail all the way around the lake, a playground and secluded camp sites.
It was starting to get dark, but McKay and I decided to take a look around and explore.
Saturday morning ended up being wet. Very wet. We went down to the lake and fished with our good friends the Claus's for a minute, but then decided to hike around the lake, rain and all.
McKay was fascinated with this tree. There was about 30 feet of this tree that was completely hollowed out and blackened from fire.
McKay really wanted to take a picture by himself :)
This is the opposite end of the lake from the fishing dock (upper left of picture)
McKay pretended that this was a monster that we had to kill. Once the deed was done, he needed to have his picture taken with the fallen beast.
Rain or no rain, this boy was determined to go swimming. So after we hiked around the lake we packed up camp (the others had already left) and then headed back to the lake for a swim!
