Pumpkins and Halloween

So I meant to break this post up into different posts. One about pumpkins, one about Halloween related activities, one about Halloween. But seeing as how it's already 10 days past Halloween, we'll just put it all together. I swear, at some point, life will simplify a bit, and I'll be able to do better, less chaotic posts. But not today. As I sit here with my left leg propped up because I had arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday, enjoying a bit of quiet time as Jason has all the girls out for a bike riding play date, I will just frantically throw up some pictures from Halloween and pumpkins. Here goes:

We did a lot of pumpkin and Halloween related things in October. You already saw when we went to the corn maze with visiting cousins. We also went to a pumpkin patch to get some pumpkins. We found some good ones! And I got to take some of my favorite photos - kids and pumpkins!

out in the field

searching the pumpkin corral

I want this one! It's heavy!

Who's that cute pumpkin, looking all coy?

A baby pumpkin - my favorite! :)

We also attended various Halloween events - like Trunk or Treat at our church, and the Halloween festival at our pool.

eating cupcakes won at the cake walk at church. Hayden won the very first go round and Eliza won on the second!

Those cupcakes were mighty purple.

We got to go on a "hayride" around our neighborhood at the community festival. Funny to sit on haybales and ride down neighborhood streets!

Hayden LOVED the giant bouncy slide at the festival and went down it many times.

Eliza needed some help from Daddy to try it out. But they all had fun!

Then we did some activities close to home. Like dress Molly up in silly Halloween outfits, and carve our giant pumpkin.

Halloween ballerina! (She's playing Sleeping Beauty.)

our giant pumpkin.

Hayden helping pose Molly with giant pumpkin.
I had visions of cute baby laying on top of huge pumpkin. This did not work out well. She couldn't be put on the pumpkin safely, so Hayden tried to help and then Molly spit up on the pumpkin.

Molly helped to supervise the evisceration of the pumpkin. The seeds were huge - I didn't even bother to try to save them to roast them, because they looked much too big and tough.

Carving the beast.

Then of course, there was Halloween night. Mom and Dad came over to see costumes, help distribute candy and go trick or treating. Hayden loved trick-or-treating; after the first house, she was ready to run from house to house. Until she got tired and said her bucket was too heavy! Eliza was more hesitant and hated having her costume pulled up on her head. They went as Glinda the Good Witch and a Dragon, but they were often pigeon holed into princess and dinosaur. Regardless, they got a good haul of candy and had fun.

our little lady bug.

The dragon and Glinda before heading out.

such a cute good witch!

This is how the ladybug spent most of Halloween night. Grandma graciously offered to stay behind to hand out candy and snuggle.

ringing the doorbell at our neighbor's house.

All in all we had a lovely Halloween. If you need any candy, let me know, because we have lots and we definitely don't need to eat it all! I don't know why giving them a small size candy bar seems so much worse then giving them a homemade cookie or cupcake! Luckily both of them seem to enjoy the lollipops the best so maybe we'll just hide the rest.

Happy Halloween!