What a positively Halloweeny few days. We love Halloween around here. Now, living in the same house I grew up in, it holds so many memories that I can share with Kei.† We love to decorate inside and outside.

We went to my brother’s house Saturday night for a bonfire.†† Kei and I brought acorn snacks we got from Phyllis’s site.† While Kei was making them Nomad was waiting to clean up the messes!† Yes he has an apron on.† What??† Don’t your pets wear aprons while cooking?

We had such a good time. †We toasted and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.† He had a dry ice cauldron bubbling and the makings for S’mores! It was really chilly outside so the fire felt great!

Eddie had bought pumpkins for Kei and Katherine to carve.† Seth bailed on us and went to the Auburn game!† Kei was so proud of her Dragon Pumpkin.† While they were carving Eddie, Heather and I watched “Walking Dead”.† We LOVE that series.† It is about zombies. †

It was a great night with family.

Monday was Halloween and we had so much to do!† We were having our friends over to eat and then go trick or treating, then come back here.† I made Taco Soup, which is something you MUST try if you haven’t.† I used turkey because several of our friends do not eat red meat.† I follow the linked recipe almost exactly except we don’t use olives.† It was so good.† I make it in the crock pot and it cooks all day. †

Then Kei and I got ready for our Halloween adventures.† She was going to be Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” so I decided to be a cat.† Get it?† Cat and Kat? :)† We had been working on her costume for a few days and thought it turned out really well.† We spray painted the bow silver, made a quiver out of leather and made a pouch for her belt and even put berries in it.† [For those of you who have read the book]† She wore a black one piece suit, a black sweater we bought at a thrift shop and cut the sleeves out of, a brown leather belt with fringe and brown boots.† She had leather wrapped all over her wrists and her hair in a side braid and wrapped with leather.† We put dark eyeshadow on her face for bruises and ‘blood’ by her ear for her injury in the arena.† She looked so cool!

And the Mommy CAT

We had the house semi cleaned, candles lit everywhere, pumpkin smells wafting all around the house.† The Taco Soup was in the pot, Kei had made cookies, chips, sour cream, cheese and drinks were ready to go.† And of course Nomad was dressed in his Halloween finery.

We had such a blast.† There was laughter and food and talking and kids everywhere.† Then we all went trick or treating and there were HUGE numbers of people out.† They even had the police and a firetruck to make sure everything went smoothly.† We take our Halloween seriously here!

Photo by Esther Crawford because my picture of the kids was horrible!

After loading up with candy and fun, we headed back over here where more food was consumed.† Trick or Treating is hungry work!† The kids all did their annual ‘candy trading’.† I think they like this part more than the collecting.

It was a great night.† And here it is November 1st!† I can’t wait to see what amazing things await us this month.

Hope everyone’s October was as lovely as ours.

Homeschooling Rocks!

Karen

Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.† ~Steve Almond

I don’t know that there are real ghosts and goblins, but there are always more trick-or-treaters than neighborhood kids.† ~Robert Brault