Halloween is an extremely big deal in our family. Not only do we have children who adore the cute side of the holiday - decorating, dressing up, and Trick-or-Treating - my husband has a birthday to celebrate! It is quite a festive time in our home and we try to play it up to the nines! With most holidays we observe traditions and Halloween is no exception.
Our Halloween traditions would not be complete without the aforementioned decorations, all "cute" because my children are young and can only stomach low intensity Halloween motifs. We read Halloween stories, again, mild, child-friendly stories with adored characters. And, without a doubt, we watch
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown several times during the season because we own it on DVD and we are hardcore Peanuts fans! Attending the Cub Scout's Pack Meeting Halloween party is also a yearly activity we attend. Watching our oldest son in his Halloween parade at school has been a joyous tradition, but this is the last year for us to enjoy that as he moves to another school and will be deemed too old. A day or two before Halloween we carve faces into our pumpkins and make Jack O' Lanterns and I roast the pumpkin seeds to perfection. Seriously, I do. They are like crack to my husband! Finally, we always get together with our dear friends and Trick-or-Treat in their neighborhood and end at their home for a celebratory dinner and birthday cake. These events are tame but they are dear to us and will certainly morph once our children start to grow up. Until then I am holding on to the innocent wide-eyed, anticipatory excitement that is like electricity in our home!
This year our traditions have grown to include listening to "The Monster Mash" ad nauseam and watching the video of the same name on Youtube performed by Lego minifigures! It is hilarious and inspires Halloween creativity in my children.
What are your Halloween traditions? Is it an annual event to throw a costume together the night before the big day? Is buying the candy, eating it long before October 31st and having to go out and forage for more a tradition? Do you run movie marathons of the scariest movies you can tolerate in an effort to get your adrenaline pumping? Do you go on a haunted hay ride each year? Do you have an eery playlist you delight? Do you find the creepiest Haunted House to visit? What makes your Halloween fun, special, and memorable. Surely we cannot be the only family who revels in this holiday that Americans have raised to epic proportions! Looking forward to reading your responses - ALL responses!
Happy Halloween!
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| Child #2 as Batman |
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| Child #1 as Batman |
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| Lobster and Clarified Butter |
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| The Batmen |
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| The 187 Family |
This year I went as a Lobster (notice the green T I wore to replicate the green 'gunk' inside the lobster!) and my daughter was "clarified butter". It's funny, trust me!! The "witch" is my good friend and co-Den Leader in Scouts.
Well, since it's my Birthday, I spend the entire day running around in my birthday suit...
ReplyDeleteNo, not really.
We'll probably watch at least part of the Talladega race, then go out for tricks or treats in Gretchen's neighborhood, followed by pizza dinner. Good clean fun!
Now, where are my pumpkin seeds... I'm jonesing here!
Hi!!!! Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday !!!! I started a tradition years before I even had kids of having the annual Pumpkin party - we invite people over, they bring their pumpkin and everyopne sits and carves - that was the "row of glow" you saw in my pictures... do it EVERY year and love it !!! I also typically MAKE halloween costumes from scratch, out of my head. If you tell me you want to be a piece of toast, I make it. I have made them pretty much every year since I was in 9th grade. I pretty much have them all in my basement lined up. Last year I made Grace and I matching Spongebob costumes... this year I haven't really had time but I do have to modify my Wonder Woman costume (smaller!!) so I guess will consider that my sewing/creating of the season :/ I also go to an annual halloween party thrown by my good friend Mark - I go by myself.. it's too wild/late for a family event. I LOVEEEEE Halloween !!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOur family basically lets Halloween slip by. The last few years we have attended our church's "Fall Festival". It is a carnival like experience for the kids. I can't handle it for very long and I end up being grouchy by the time the kids are done.
ReplyDeleteI just want to get to Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin seeds sound good you better have some more for me Racer ! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love it. All 3 Racer-dudes as Batman!! Now that's a crime fighting trio.
ReplyDeleteWow!!! Your surrounded by super heroes!!! I just love this time of year because the season is changing. The leaves are turning bright yellow, orange and red. Great for playing with your camera. All too soon that nasty wintry weather will settle in for the next 5 or so months. My most handsome grandson is going to be a fireman for Halloween this year. =)
ReplyDeleteHEy! Just wanted to let you know you've made another influence... I saw that The Great Pumpkin was on TV so I grabbed Grace and Mike (twins were sleeping), sat down on the couch, no computers or phones.. and we all watched it together this year. Grace loved it and loved the time she spent with just mom and dad. Two days later she said "hey mom... can we sit on the couch and watch tv like we did the other day?" I said "sure! you mean you want some "family couch time?"... and so.. the term has now stuck in the augustine household.. "couch time" :) Thanks Candi!
ReplyDeleteFoffie, so glad I could add to your already loving and wonderful family dynamic/traditions! xoxo
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