Halloween 2013

Trick or Treat 2013

I dressed up for Halloween in my TaeKwonDo uniform...  just because I came straight from class with no time to change before the trick-or-treaters descended!  Josie trick-or-treated at our house a few times!

Well, it has been a LONG time since I have updated here.  We have been very, very busy.  California living has been an adjustment.  One major adjustment:  no school bus transportation!  This makes a big difference to me, since I need to drive the twins to middle school, followed by Luke and Josie to elementary school.  School for the twins starts 40 minutes before school for Josie and Luke, so that means a lot of wasted time driving for dropping off kids to school and picking them up!  I have found that I have very little time for anything; however, I will ENDEAVOR to update this blog on Fridays!

Regardless, today I will talk about Halloween.  There were some minor pre-Halloween events  (such as trick-or-treating at the Great America amusement park, and trunk or treat at the church), but the kids really only were excited about Halloween on the actual day.  (By kids I mean Josie, Luke, Steven, and Isabel... Kate is not really considered a "kid" anymore, sadly.)

Since we needed to be out of the door by 7:35 AM on Halloween morning, the kids had to get ready in a hurry.  Isabel, who usually sleeps in until the last possible minute and then runs to the car with her shoes in her hand as I am just about to give up waiting for her, woke early to perfect her Harry Potter look.  Steven chose to wear a Hula skirt to match his girlfriend (AAWWW, how SWEEEET!).  Luke, dismayed that no masks were allowed in school, went with the old standby:  Padawan, otherwise known as a Jedi Knight in Training.  Josie, dismayed that she was not allowed to wear makeup (also due to a school rule), chose a fairy dress from her dress up box and was convinced she looked "ridiculous" in her outfit...

Steven and Isabel had normal school days (they are both in seventh grade).  Luke and Josie were allowed a little more fun though, since they are in elementary school.

Luke and Josie before school and all the festivities.

For Luke, Halloween at school is old hat.  He's in 4th grade this year, so he is practically the King of the School.  He relishes being a big brother at school, and loves it when he happens upon Josie during the day.  Josie is in Kindergarten.  Everything is new to her.  

Upon arrival at her classroom, Josie at first proclaimed to any child within earshot the she looked "so ridiculous" but soon she got into the spirit, lined up with her classmates, and prepared for the main event:  the Halloween Parade.  

Josie and her best friend marching in the parade

At Monta Loma Elementary School, Halloween morning starts with a parade.  The whole school gathers on the playground, and the kids march around by grade levels so that everyone can see the costumes.  Josie marched along with her best friend, Batgirl, and was adored by the entire student body.   After they marched, the kindergartners sat down to enjoy the rest of the parade.

Luke went through the motions...  He was a very focused Padawan...

After the parade, the kids went back to class for a couple of hours of learning...

The next big Halloween event:  Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood.

Since we live in a military housing community, there are a lot of houses with a lot of children packed into a small area.  These are ideal conditions for trick-or-treating.  We started getting trick-or-treaters at 5:30 PM!!!  These early birds were mostly parents with small children who were afraid of the dark and scary Halloween decorations.  Steven found this wizard's robe in our Halloween Bin of Random Old Costumes, mostly acquired or even sewn back when I had a little bit of motivation for that business!  I think it looks like a choir robe actually.

Anyway, when Mac FINALLY got back from work, the kids were able to start trick-or-treating.  Luke, Steven, Isabel, and Isabel's friend (who happens to be Steven's true love) took off on their own.  Josie stuck with Mac.  The dog, Kate, and I handed out candy.  It was a busy night!

Luke as Ash Ketchum, the master Pokemon trainer...

Beautiful (definitely not "ridiculous") Rapunzel from Tangled

Izzy as Harry Potter, and her friend Claire, the Hula Dancer.

I don't know what Steven is going for here.  Choir-wizard robe, tiny angel wings, and a cat mask.  It's totally Steven.  More is always more with him...

Anyway, that was Halloween.  It was busy, chaotic, and just another late night in the Camacho household.  Our dog, Pekoe, did better than last year, although he did need to be taken inside if another dog came near our house.  (He's too friendly with other dogs, but since he weighs nearly 80 pounds and he's full of puppy energy still, his "friendly" is way too much for most people and dogs!)  Kate went trick-or-treating with a friend during the late rotation after most of the real trick-or-treaters had passed through. (Lest you think Kate is too old for this, take note that in our neighborhood even adults go trick-or-treating...  adults without children!  It's a truly unique social event.)

Scary jack-o-lanterns.  Mac only helped to carved these (the older kids took over in places).  Clockwise from the top left:  Isabel (the biggest pumpkin), Steven (I think he carved it himself), Luke (who needs a nose?), and Josie (every good jack-o-lantern should have eyelashes).  

In all, it was a fun Halloween.  We don't know where we will be for Halloween next year.  We do know that things will be different.  Kate will be in college, it may not be 70 degrees outside, and we will live in a different part of the country.  Alas, many of our costumes will be the same.  That's the one constant-- there will be capes, there will be a padowan, there will be a character from Harry Potter, and there will be a hodgepodge of pieces from costumes from years past.