This year, we didn’t get to doing a lot of halloweeny crafty things we wanted to do. I picked up the special Halloween issue of Martha Stewart Living, and barely got to look at it — because Ethan and Jocelyn were hogging it! They loved it and wanted to do all sorts of things. Maybe next year.. We did make it to Cox Farms (big slides, rope swings into hay piles, hay wagon rides, more slides, fresh apple cider and apples, baby animals, and free baby pumpkins on exit), which somehow we missed last year, and boy was it a hit. Ethan has a love of apples that he has reaffirmed again and again, and I’m trying to keep a good stock of apples in the house to keep him happy. I showed them both the “apple star” in the middle, and they loved it!

So this year, as you know, Jocelyn switched from a Belle costume to a Sleeping Beauty costume, and to top it off, we used her princess hat we made this past summer.

Ethan had 2 costumes this year. He long ago stated that he wanted to be a storm trooper, and that costume was bought about a month ago. His kindergarten class also had dressing up, but they had to pick a character from a nursery rhyme. Ethan decided to be a mouse, from Hickory Dickory Dock.

James and I put it off until the day before, but luckily it came together beautifully. James bought a hooded gray sweatshirt on his way to class, and I stopped by the fabric store and picked up some felt. Ears and a tummy were cut out and pinned to the clothes, and a tube sock stuffed with polyfill sufficed for the tail. It was SUCH a hit with Ethan, that he has since informed me that he wants to be a mouse for next year too!

Go home-made!! I admire the families that have a “costumes must be homemade” rule, but I would be nervous to commit to it.

Anyway – to the photos! Blurriness ensues!

Mom is making us stand here. What a drag. Can we go already?

First sweet! YES!

Trick or –Ooh! They have a dog!

Next! Next!

And off into the night…