I need to fulfill my promise to future Austin, who I'm sure is totally awesome, and get his six-month post written up. But first, I need to recap our Halloween this year because it was a lot of fun and I don't want to forget some of the details.
I'm calling Halloween 2017 Connor's first REAL Halloween. In 2014, he was an infant; in 2015, he was sick and still didn't "get" it; in 2016, he just wasn't into the holiday and told me "Nothing" over and over again when I (or anyone else) asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween. But 2017 was his year.
Connor knew a long time ago that he wanted to be a police officer for Halloween so I ordered his costume from Party City and it looked great! The only negative was the hat. It was so small! So I had to shell out more money for a better and bigger hat, but it was worth it because it's more adjustable and will fit for a long time and it really completes the costume/uniform. The hat arrived the day that Bass Lake Park hosted its annual Spooktacular Event - perfect timing! Connor actually won a runner-up prize, which I'm sure wouldn't have happened if he hadn't had his hat.
Connor got to wear his costume to daycare on Halloween. I didn't get a costume for Austin, but I dressed him in black and white stripes so that at least when he was with Connor, I could say he was Connor's prisoner. I snapped a few quick and not-so-great photos before they headed to school. (Please note the 6-9 month pants that are barely containing our little chunkers.)
I wasn't going to do trick-or-treating since Austin typically goes to bed by 6:30, but the McHusband talked me into it and I'm so glad he did. I got Austin changed into his pajamas and gave him a bottle then put him in the stroller and kept my fingers crossed for general happiness followed by sleepiness.
Apparently I wasn't the only one tired from being up since four-something-in-the-morning because he dozed off pretty soon after Connor started ringing doorbells.
We had talked to Connor about how he'd say "Trick or Treat!" or "Happy Halloween!" when people opened the door. He combined those and told everyone "Happy Trick or Treat!" Yes, it was as adorable as you imagine - my little police officer toddler in his slightly-too-big costume and hat combining those phrases with gusto and holding out his little pumpkin for a treat. I wanted to go to even more houses just to hear him say that over and over again.
The neighborhood we went to had lots of houses decorated with lights and blow-ups and all other assorted Halloween paraphernalia. Some stuff was spookier than others but Connor didn't let it faze him. Only one thing made him nervous and it would've gotten to even a seasoned trick-or-treater. It was a hairy hand/spider thing mounted toward the ground that jumped out randomly. Connor saw it before he hit that house, and I thought he wouldn't go past it but apparently the pull of more candy was stronger than the fear of being gotten. He later told us, when asked how he liked Halloween, that he "didn't like those scaries."
Connor loved all the "Christmas lights," as he called them, that people used. We stopped at one house that was all lit up and Connor told the homeowner, after he'd gotten his candy and said thank you, "I like all these lights. They're pwetty." She just loved hearing him say that totally unprompted. When he joined us in the street, he looked ahead at the other houses and their lighted decorations, kinda motioned to the general surroundings with his arm, and said, "This is so beautiful."
Something else this neighborhood had? Adult treats! One house offered beer or wine, one had sangria, and another was giving out condiment cups of vodka Gummy Bears!
Connor loved Halloween and as we were heading home, he said, "But Halloween isn't over yet" because he could still see the lights on and people out. But he was tired so it wasn't too tough to get him focused on walking home. Austin had woken up by this point but was just content to ride in the stroller all snuggly under a fleece blanket.
Final verdict? Halloween 2017 was a big hit all around, and we are excited to do it again next year with two trick-or-treaters. And more of those Gummy Bears. And maybe our own Thermos of an adult beverage in the stroller's cup holder.
