Halloween

This year for Halloween we went door to door trick-or-treating. This is the first experience any of my children have had with it. Last year we went down center street during the day but I didn't have Bryant with me this year so I didn't want to mess with the crowds there on my own. I never realized how much teaching was involved in trick-or-treating. Before we went out I reemphasized the rule that they say thank you for whatever they are given even if it is not something they wanted or if they wanted something else from the bowl. After all, all of the candy, except 10 pieces, were going into a community bowl for the whole family. After two houses I realized I had to set some additional rules. Only knock once, we don't knock with our feet, remain outside the house once the door is open, try not to crowd the person with the candy bowl, and don't reach straight up with the appearance of a demand for candy (even though that is really what trick-or treating is right?). We live in a neighborhood with a lot of town houses. This provided the children with a lot of doors right next to each other, equating to a lot of candy, and not very much effort or time. Gunnar was the one that didn't want to come home when the older oldest two were ready to come home. He adamantly said "no home! More Candy!" I couldn't help but laugh at his insistence. With the promise of two more doors to knock on on our way home he obliged to turn around. 

Here is Brylee and Connor before heading out the door.

Gunnar trying to keep up with is older siblings at the get go :_)

Here are the troops ready to head out and get some candy! Brylee was a dog, Hunter was a ninja, Connor was a bumblebee, Tucker was IronMan, and Gunnar was a lion. 

Here is Brylee's pile of candy

Tucker's piles of candy

Hunter's candy

And Gunnar's candy

A picture of the bee with me :)

Connor refused to smile for the camera :)

All of the candy brought home by our children was enough to almost fill a box that was previously filled with 20lbs of peaches. It was more candy than we would normally purchase to give out to trick-or-treaters! They certainly all had lots of fun and no one complained about the community bowl, thankfully.