Happy Halloween

I can't believe that this has been our 3rd Halloween in the UK!!! Today we decked the kids out in their Fa - BOO - lous t-shirts that their Grandma Sally sent to them. We went out for lunch at the Cuckoo and got to enjoy the fireplace they had roaring inside. Next we decided to use our saved up Tesco vouchers to go buy a Wii Fit board...this was totally random and super crazy of us to do because it was an absolute zoo in Serpentine Green shopping centre. Then we were off back to our house for the kiddos to get naps and ready for the big night.

This year was our 3rd Annual Halloween party in which we invite any of our fellow ISEs and their kids over for trick or treating in our neighborhood and then some goodies afterwards at our house. This year we had 31 of us gather together which was much less than the 56 we had last year. It's amazing how things change in a year, but it was a great group to have together. The kids were so cute and probably the only ones that went around in our neighborhood that wasn't dressed as a ghost, witch, skeleton, or vampire. I think our neighbors actually look forward to seeing our little American group because we do stick out a little more but our costumes are quite unique.

Harry and Kevin pose just before we head out for trick or treating. Kevin stayed behind this year to put the food in the oven and hand out candy. (But I did offer that he could take the kids around - for the record). Harry's all ready with his blinking pumpkin necklace and black puppy nose, but his little puppy hood only lasted about 2.3 seconds and that was it for him.

My little pair of firry creatures. They both had so much fun and I could actually hold Harrison's hand and walk him to each of the houses. Addison liked to walk on her own but made me carry her bucket.

Harrison was so cute, because he would actually go up to the door and reach in the bowls for piece of candy and put it in his own bucket. Then he would turn around and head straight to the next house.

It only took us about 30 minutes to hit about 13 houses in our neighborhood and the weather was absolutely wonderful - 58 F but a little humid. Before the kids got restless and would scurry to get out of their costumes we caught a quick family picture.

Our pumpkins barely made it through the night. Because of the warm weather and dampness throughout the week, some severe mold took over and they were all almost mush but Halloween night but we managed to get some candles in each of them. Kevin's was so bad that the top ended up caving in on top and another one had the top fall in and melt with the candle giving off a horrendous odor.

We had some great food this year as always. I cooked up some BBQ chicken sandwiches and twice baked mashed potatoes that I put jack-o-lantern faces on. We also had homemade mac and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, homemade pizza, Halloween cupcakes, ghost carrot cake, spider chocolate cake, sugary popcorn, fall snack mix, sugar cookies, chips/dip, deviled eggs that looked like eyes.

I also made up some punch and tried something new with a frozen hand floating in it. It was so much fun making Halloween themed food.

I think all the kids had a pretty good time and they actually got some good food in their tummies before getting too many sweeties.

Addison really enjoyed the cupcakes that Holli brought so we'll have to thank Jenny S for sending them from the States to her (thanks Jenny!!!). Funny thing is that she liked eating the frosting tops and not the rest of the cake.

It was a great evening and we are so looking forward to hosting again next year.

The next morning Addison actually got to survey the candy she collected from the night before. We let her have two whole pieces the next day...such mean parents but she's actually at the age that we can say that and she won't fight back about it too much. Poor Harry probably won't get to eat any of his candy but he's still young enough that he won't know that mommy and daddy will swipe all of his goodies - sorry buddy!!!