The MONTH of Halloween

I love that Halloween isn't just one night for our boys - it's a month long celebration. Jack and Benjamin REALLY liked Halloween this year. They had fun decorating and dressing up. Their only complaint was that our house wasn't scary enough! Oh well, I don't do scary.

The boys did make these ghosts and hang them from the trees in front. Jack was being super funny - yelling to the neighborhood "watch out neighbors, our house is haunted by ghosts - real ghosts, not fake, they just look plastic". "Watch out neighbors, you better lock your doors". Okay, so it was way funnier than it sounds, I promise.



Friday, October 2nd
Heading out to Atlantic Avenue to start the Halloween celebrating at Eat, Play, Grow

October 8th
The boys were ready to continue getting into the HALLOWEEN mood.
They tried on every costume we own and danced in our hallway. They also decorated some cute pumpkins (see here)

It was a pretty scary fashion show

The night BEFORE Halloween
We went to the Aranda's house for some PRE-HALLOWEEN fun!

I just LOVE to see those smiling faces
Emily, Jack, Catie (hostess), Sammy and Benjamin

Not too shabby for a group of armature pumpkin carvers

HALLOWEEN NIGHT
Pot luck dinner and trick or treating at our good friends the Aranda's house



Benjamin Bumble Bee and Jack a.k.a Dorothy

Our little pumpkin with her Daddy

Having a little bite to eat before we head out trick-or-treating

So cute!


Oh no my wig!!

There's those smiling faces again (minus Benjamin)

It was a good night and lots of fun was had by all

Okay, so for those of you that are saying "wow, Jack really likes to wear dresses" - yep, he does. Do I love it? Honest answer, no, not really. Did I want him to dress up as Dorothy for Halloween? No. He actually wanted to be it last year and I'm embarrassed to admit it but I said no - seems silly to me now. This year he was really confused and disappointed that I said no to him again about being Dorothy. I gave him the whole "there are boy costumes and there are girl costumes" speech. It seemed sort of weird to me when the words were coming out of my mouth but at the same time I really felt I was doing the right thing. He is getting older and I was so afraid of what the other kids would say to him. I didn't want him to be teased for wearing girl clothes. I think there was a small part of me that was concerned what the other parents at the party would say to Branden and I. After seeing how sad he was I realized that I was the one that was wrong here and that I don't want to teach my children to just conform to all of society's "norms" so they will fit in. Am I encouraging them to be different? No, but I am encouraging them to be themselves and to be proud of themselves. Do I hope he chooses a more "boyish" costume for next year? Honest answer, yes. Will I be mad or disallow his costume if it's not? No. The joy on his face when I told him that I had bid on and won his Dorothy costume on e-bay was priceless. He was SO happy you would have thought we won the lottery. Like most parents, I try to make my kids happy if I can.

By the way, I only got two comments at the party about his outfit and by that time I felt fully confident and capable to answer their inquiry. Both Branden and I were very happy with our decision to allow him to be Dorothy and we thought he looked adorable.