Trick or Treat!

We love Halloween. Rick's Mom was really into it, and Rick grew up always celebrating Halloween in a big way. Growing up in England and Australia I never celebrated it, but quickly got on board when I moved here. We really deck out our house, and have a lot of fun.

Our Halloween theme this year was a nod to our trip round the country and was "The Wild West." We had Sacajawea (or generic Native American girl), A cowboy and a horse.

Does Jane look sad? It's because she was. I was helping at Emily's school party (I'm her class Mom this year) and Jane wouldn't take a nap for the babysitter. Probably because she's the worst sleeper in the history of the world, and will only fall asleep for naps in the car or if I lie down with her ... but that's a story for another day.

Anyway, I put her down when I got home, but she woke up late, and cranky. It didn't take her too long though, to realize that we were about to have a whole lot of fun!

Emily inspired this years theme, because she loves the Native American culture. She insisted that we figure out a way to dye her hair black, so we used this spray on stuff. It made it black, but also kind of crispy - so the braids / plaits stuck straight out from her head. She was thrilled that some of her friends didn't recognize her with black hair. We bought the moccasins & necklace in South Dakota, and the bracelets in Utah. She's been planning this costume since summer!

Jacob the cowboy. Happy to be a cowboy ONLY because he had a pop-gun, and could
"chase bad guys." We got his cool Sheriff's badge in New Mexico this summer too. It's really thick, real metal and heavy. So cool. We got his hat in Texas, and the pop-gun in Utah.

Jane is super in love with horses - and has watched the movie "Spirit" 20 million times. She was so excited to be a horse for Halloween, and told everyone about it. Until it came time to wear the hood on the costume. She had it on for about 6 seconds - just long enough to take this picture and then refused to have it up any other time. Oh well, she knew she was a horse, even if she just looked like some random animal to everyone else.

Our neighborhood does a Halloween parade each year. It's pretty great. The police block off the roads, and we all go around our block, then end at the houses behind us, where there's food for the kids (everyone contributes by taking down food earlier in the day.) I love stuff like that - it gives me a sense of community - and it's nice that the kids get to see all their friend's costumes & get something other than candy in their little tummies before we begin.

All the way around Jacob was asking about trick-or-treating, and I kept telling him "After the parade." We ate our food at the little gathering at the end of the parade & walked up the street home.

Rick had arrived home from work (he usually takes Halloween off but y'know, the economy & everything ...) He was setting up our fog machine & strobe lights & hanging our motion sensor ghost in the tree, etc. The kids played on the front lawn while he finished & I got a few last minute things done & gave the treat bags to Rebekah to hand out. (The beauty of having a kid too old for trick-or-treating is that she can hand out candy & Rick and I can both go with the littler one's.)

About 15 minutes had passed. "OK guys," I called " Time to go."

"Where's Jacob?"

I couldn't see Jacob anywhere. Kids were already coming to our door - and there were many other people in the street. We had done the end of the parade with our neighbors, and some other friends from the ward. They were out the front of their house next door. I called over to ask if Jacob was with them - but he wasn't.

A rising fear started to engulf me, but I stayed calm and asked Rick to run up the street and look for him.

I started to trick-or-treat with the girls, trying not to panic.
"He's bound to have him by now." I kept thinking, and snapped a few pics of the girls.

Then I saw Rick walking back to us. Alone. "Did you find him?" Rick answered no. If you know Rick at all, you know he is a big tease. I thought he had probably left him at our friends house on the next block, and we were going to trick-or-treat up to them or something. "Really, where is he." He told me he didn't have him. OK. Panic. Panic Now!

I think every person at all times is a kidnapper anyway, so I was freaked out. I grabbed Rick's cell phone & called 911. Right as I was explaining that I had lost my 4 year old son, Rebekah called on the other line. He was home.

Rick raced back to get him, and then they joined us. Apparently, we were just taking to long for my independent boy. As soon as we had come home from the parade, he had grabbed his little pumpkin bucket, and headed right off to trick or treat. When I thought he was playing on the lawn with the other kids, he had taken himself Trick-or-Treating! He did the block down from our house, while Rick was looking on the block up. He came home, because he had finished the block - and had a little bucket full of candy to show for it. He was actually quite pleased with himself! I am shocked that there wasn't a house where someone opened the door to a 4 year old out by themselves and questioned where his parents were! I think he probably was on the tail of a bigger group, and the houses they went to thought he was with them?? Then why didn't the group notice???

It's kind of funny, now that it's over and he is safe - but thinking about how it could have ended makes me sick to my stomach.
He didn't seem at all phased my my obvious concern "Jacob, I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE. I called the POLICE!"

We emphasized sticking together & the need for parents, and headed off for fun. This year we got over 120 trick-or-treaters at our house. I know because I had 120 things to give out & ran out at the end. I started giving out things my kids had collected & wouldn't eat - they're picky about candy too.
I love that we run into so many friends we know from church or school, and how happy it makes my kids to see them. Our friends one block up had set up hot chocolate, apple cider & treats on their front lawn & we all hung out there a while. Check out how cute Jane's friend Grace is!

We were finished in about an hour (they get tired quickly) and headed home. Jacob had just as much fun handing treats out to people who came to our house, and manning the fog machine. Jane just got down to eating her candy!
It started to get late, and cold - so I bathed them (it took several shampoo's for Emily's hair to come clean) and read them our last Halloween story & popped them into bed. This was our new book for our collection this year and I got it only because the title made me think of Rick's Mom, who really was the Queen of Halloween. Also, I love Mary Engelbrett. It's a pretty cute book & comes with a little paper doll.
Check out Jacob's mouth. He is wearing vampire teeth he got at a friends party. He'd worn them for 1 week straight. It was all I could do to get him to take them out each night. He'd even become adept at talking with them in, so that I could understand him! Funny boy.
I gave my little cowboy a few extra hugs and kisses as he drifted off to sleep. So happy he was safe and home in his cozy bed. Reminding myself that I can NEVER, EVER take my eyes off him, even for a second - even when I think he's in our own yard.
That boy will be the death of me yet!