on Halloween

As this blog is first and foremost a journal for my children, you'll have to indulge me a bit of cutesy-family-moments blogging this evening. Halloween turned out to be a bit of a letdown this year between the really bad cold, the case of strep throat, the not-infected-but-scared-mom-that-it-might-be pinky toe that required a doctor visit, and the late night vomiting both nights on either side of Halloween. Maybe it was more so for me than the kids because they all seemed to enjoy the trick-or-treating and other festivities, but I spent the entire time feeling like we were on the brink of an germified meltdown.

Finn was a bit peaked but managed to pull himself together to attend a classmate's trick-or-treating via hayride party. What a cute sight to watch all these 3-5 year olds packed on a hayride in their costumes! Elizabeth went along, but she (with the inflamed and swollen pinky toe) wasn't really having the best time and refused to let me take a decent shot of her "elegant vampire" ensemble.

Paulie and Philip (photo courtesy of their mom) spent the weekend with their mom and trick-or-treated with her, but I couldn't exclude their cute photo from the lineup.

Upon arriving home, their baskets were dropped outside their bedroom doorways so that the Halloween Fairy could come transform their candy into a few organic treats and small gifts.

Elizabeth, probably with a throbbing pinky toe speaking, was pretty anti-Halloween Fairy this year, but she exclaimed this morning upon finding her treats that she was so glad the Halloween Fairy came.

When the kids watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown last weekend, Elizabeth commented, "I don't understand why Charlie Brown sounds so sad to get a rock while he's trick-or-treating. I would love it if somebody gave me a rock while I was trick-or-treating." And so she was thrilled to find that the Halloween Fairy answered her wish with a small Herkimer diamond.

Finn, aka the one who woke up vomiting at 5 am, wasn't really thinking about the Halloween Fairy this morning until I brought his basket downstairs to his sickbed.

He nearly forgot he was sick when he spied a little wooden Nessie and a book about the search for Loch Ness.

The Halloween fun continued this afternoon when Elizabeth convinced her brothers to let her try out the new face pencils on them. I love how creative they can get when they are given a new outlet like that.

Once Paulie masters those stilts (he ended up scrapping them for Halloween), he can join the join the circus!

PS. The winner has been drawn for the knitted/felted goodies. Thanks to everyone who participated!!