The Big Night

Yay!! Halloween!! We started off the day with jack-o-lantern pancakes, then watched harry potter and the goblet of fire and made caramel apples. lunch was mice and ghost quesedillas, dinner was ghosts, spiders, goo, and monster's blood (mashed potatoes, meatballs with pepper legs, vegi soup, green soda with pop rocks for fizz) Keely got frustrated with the adults when we used the real food names and not the fun stuff it was supposed to be!They were ansy to get going but dad has strict rules about not going out until it's dark. once they did get going they didn't stop - they ran almost the entire night from house to house.This was asher's first year...and man did he catch on to this free candy bit fast :) after each house he would yell "I GOT SOME CANDY MOM(OR DAD)! I GO GET SOME MORE CANDY!?" yes sweetie you can go get more candy, "OK!" then he would shoot off running to the next house trying to catch up to his sister :)
the main event in our neighborhood is the Harry Potter House. We got there early so the kids got individualized attention from each character :) when you arrive dumbledoor greets you and sits you in the chair to be sorted into your house with the sorting hat that actually talks. It told Keely that she was full of personality and put her in Ravenclaw! then she got a badge that told everyone which house she was in :)

Next we saw Harry himself - we watch so much potter in our house that even asher knew who he was right away -he was doing magic tricks with cards to impress the kids until...asher made all his cards drop onto the ground..ooops.
after that we picked up some butter beer and donuts from two wizards I didn't catch the names of, went to Haggrad's house where he handed out candy and saw Sirius Black running through Hogwarts to escape those wizards and witches looking for him -- Keely was especially set on finding Sirius and followed him wherever she saw him running, but never totally caught up to him :) then we went to the Weezlies shop (above) the kids knocked on the panels and soon a hook came out with a toy attached to it. on your way out there's a mrs. somebody-or-other who will read your future in the tea cup (we skipped it cause keely was anxious to get trick-or-treating)
The fam waiting on mom to catch up...(note to self: when children and free candy are involved do not wear heels!!) in my defense though, I had no idea we would be RUNNING from house to house! crazy kids!

taking a breather outside the house that thought to give gaterade to these hard working kids. it was such a warm night that it was the perfect idea - they were getting pretty tired at this point and the drink gave them the energy to (yes, run) get through the last street.

when we got home we had hot chocolate, caramel apples, popcorn, and all the candy from their loot that they wanted while we watched journey to the center of the earth in 3D - my kids are scardy cats and this was about all the horror they could handle, as it was, they both ended up cowered into us with their eyes covered at one point :) they went to bed thoroughly sugar highed, happy, and exhaused. ahhhh, Halloween, couldn't imagine living somewhere without it - the most perfect of all kid holidays :)