Halloween at the Holmes House

Pumpkin Emma decorated at her friend Katie's Halloween party

It was quiet again at our house on Monday -- Halloween Night.  We live on a dead end street with only 16 houses on it so we don't get many visitors. The kids on our street all come and there are quite a few but they tend to all come in a clump and this year they started out so early I missed them and Emma answered the door -- I think they were there at 5:30 -- it wasn't dark yet and I was looking for a candle for our jack-o-lantern. We got a late start on carving it this year and had just finished. Emma's friend from around the corner stopped by with her brother and sister as did some of the kids from the Sweetbriar neighborhood behind us. Emma went out at about 6:15 with her friend Olivia next door. Olivia's in 5th grade and her Dad tagged a long a bit behind them. They didn't get back until 7:30 or so and she had a huge haul of stuff in her orange Dunkin Donuts bag we got free last year when we bought doughnuts for her birthday party. I'd forgotten about it, but it makes a great bag. It's bright orange with a purple spider web and large black spider on it. She dressed up as a Nerd using her costume from last Spring's Jazz dancing performance to "It's Hip to be Square". She paired it with a pink and orange argyle sweater she has -- she asked me if they looked okay together -- I said they clash horribly, but that just makes the costume better!

Our front porch decorated for Fall/Halloween. I love these luminaries I got from Target in the $ bins. They have pumpkin and ghost cut outs and look great lit up with candles in them. They are tins.

Hanging up the ghosts we made

Emma in her nerd costume ready to go trick-or-treating

Ready for visitors

Even though Halloween night was quiet I did get my fill of kids in costumes on Saturday. We were invited to a party for family's at my friend Amy's house. They went all out and she had tons of activities for the kids and all the adults dressed up too. I was sort of a cowgirl wearing my half cowboy boots and Emma's straw cowboy hat. Emma went to this party as a ballerina because she wasn't sure the little kids would get the nerd concept. She was the oldest kid there, but enjoyed looking after/playing with the little kids. I am still thinking about the mini-pumpkin cup cakes with chocolate frosting that my friend Alisa made. Yum, perfect bite sized treat and not too sweet. I also enjoyed the hot apple cider with a hint of rum! It was raining so the pumpkin carving contest was held in the garage. I chose to stay in the warm house with my friend Jen and her daughter/my God-daughter Rose. It was neat to see the finished jack-o-lanterns though and we had a fun contest to pick the winner -- everyone voted even the 2 year olds.

Jen and my God-daughter

Emma eating at the kids table. She wanted to. Really!

The yummy pumpkin cup cakes

Emma reading to my God-daughter Rose wearing her Uncle's lumberjack hat.