Happy Slacker Mom Halloween

I'm usually on it when it comes to Halloween but this year I was a slacker for sure. I had all these grand ideas for costumes that I kept thinking of for months and the closer Halloween got, the more and more I realized that coming up with three costumes and all the effort into putting them all together was a little bit more than I could chew off. So it was the Halloween of hand-me-downs. I'm telling you....slacker mom.

 

So the only real effort that was put into this year's costume was Nolan's surfboard which was 100% done by my husband. I know that my girl fish looks like a boy fish so that's why we slapped a bow on her.

 

Years ago we were invited to be on Good Morning Texas for the boys' costumes. So why not reuse them if they got us on tv, right?

There was absolutely no way that anyone was getting that candy bucket out of my baby girl's hands. She was holding onto that sucker even if she had to drag it.

We were fresh out of white face paint and sunscreen soaked into his face. So what do you do in a pinch? Oh if you could have only seen Nolan's face when I told him at the end of the night that he had diaper cream on his nose all night. Priceless.

So as I walk around the neighborhood feeling guilty about how I should've put more effort into their costumes, I look at my sweet babies walking up to each house and guess what? They could have been wearing sheets with holes cut out for eyes and been every bit as happy. Seriously.

Having Gram and Pop here from Kentucky made it even more special because it's the first time ever that they've been able to join us. They stayed with the kids while Justin and I went to New York. I owe them my life for that one!

Here's some fun we carved up the night before Halloween. What fun!

Landry was into it the most, believe it or not!

 

And here are a couple of my favorite. I didn't get one of Campbell. Probably because the kids had to be super still! Which it's a miracle I got one of Landry!

Knowing how long it takes me to accomplish things, I better start working on next year's costumes!

Superhero Halloween

I can't believe it. My children actually let me do a theme again for their costumes. I thought those days were long gone after last year when I had little to no input, on what they were.

But I knew that I might have a winner when I suggested superheroes. We wear capes around these parts like underwear. Some days, it's just capes and underwear, but that's just how it is in a house of two boys.

So superheroes is was...

Batman is the one with the "muscles". Cam is rocking the Superman curl, and Landry....need I say more about her Wonder Woman powers?

 

I think this is the cheapest I've ever gotten out for Halloween. Landry's costume cost me less than $10. I bought her onesie on eBay and made the rest compliments of tulle, and my Cricut to cut out the stars. 

And Wonder Woman's super power? Why it's insane adorable cuteness, of course! Don't let Justin fool you that he was "helping" her carry her bucket. I think he just went so it was acceptable for him to eat up her candy. I mean I might have helped him out a little, too.

Right before it was time to trick-or-treat we discovered that Campbell had a low grade fever. Nothing like doping your kid up on Motrin so he can go trick-or-treating. That's called quality parenting right there, folks. 

Our neighborhood is pure insanity on Halloween. It's sometimes hard to find room on the sidewalk and people go all out with their decorations.

Check out my dad's "sleeves". If you know my dad it's hilarious to even think that he would consider wearing these. His tats didn't seem to scare Landry away.

But I guess I better back up a little. The Sunday before Halloween, my parents' church had their annual Trunk-or-treat after church. My mom's favorite holiday is Halloween so she can throw together a myriad of difference trunks with all her Halloween decorations. 

 

Any excuse to get one more use out of that costume sounds good to us. 

I seriously can't get over how my favorite part of Campbell's costume is his curl. 

It wasn't all smiles. Superheroes have rough days too, you know. 

Halloween is just better with kids. Period. I feel like I'm living vicariously through them all over again.

 

Seeing my superheroes downtown "saving" the city had me hoping that maybe just maybe I can talk them into another theme next year.

And maybe they're not the only ones who enjoyed dressing up this year. 

Boo

Remember my post just a couple of weeks ago about fitting it all in and keeping my sanity? Yea, well Halloween weekend might have been in the top 5 of craziest weekends ever. It was a very fine line. Insanity was only minutes away.

The morning started bright and early with a cold soccer game. Hard to believe the season started out with 105 degree games. I'll take a 50 degree soccer game any day over that. It was the end of the soccer season and so we squeezed in pizza at 10:30 in the morning before heading to Boo at the Zoo.

And as heartbreaking as it was, we went with store bought costumes this year for a number of reasons.
#1 Newborn baby...enough said.
#2 My appreciation for coordinating costumes is not nearly appreciated by my boys as much as it is by me. Guess I'll just have to reminisce about all the years past.
#3 Trying to convince your kid that a mad scientist is way cooler than ninjas is nearly impossible.

 

Don't you just wonder what those animals are thinking seeing my kid who, now that I'm looking at the photo, might look too much like a member of the Taliban than a ninja. Oops.

Costume and diaper changes in the parking lot are how we roll these days. I swear our swagger wagon is our home...at least on weekends. 

Campbell's costume didn't come with a mask for some reason so I busted out my VERY limited sewing skills and made him a mask. 

 

And you will notice Nolan's super serious ninja face in nearly every photo. Watch out.  

It was perfect weather. Normally it seems like my kids are drenched with sweat on Halloween in Texas with their costumes but this year, we actually sported a layer of clothing underneath!

Boo at the Zoo really was a lot of fun MINUS the part where we lost Campbell for 20 seconds. Seriously, I'm completely reconsidering making jokes about parents who put their kids on leashes now that I have an escape artist....scariest 20 seconds of your life when you're in a huge crowd and can't find your kid.

Immediately after this, we headed straight to my nieces' roller skating party. I don't have any photos of that because I needed every ounce of balance to keep myself up after not skating for over 20 years. 

The next day we headed to our church carnival which was so much fun for the kids. They loved every minute of it and I love hanging out with my Soul Sistas.

Generations of church members were there to support the carnival even the oldest and youngest.

The thing about church that I love it that every kid is your kid. You love them all, look out for them all, and even get onto them all when needed. I love that. It takes a village...

 

Next  up? Pumpkin carving. We could've and probably should've skipped the pumpkin carving but our kids can't ever say "Why didn't we ever do that?" because the Good Lord knows that we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion to make sure we're making memories. 

 

 

 And I'm glad we did because we got some pretty priceless facial expressions from the whole experience.

 

And Landry and I were excellent spectators. In the next few years, Sister is going to be getting her hands on those pumpkin guts and holding her own with her brothers. 

The most exciting news about Halloween this year was we were on TV! Good Morning Texas had a homemade Halloween contest and I sent the boys photos in from last year (remember we went store bought this year) and found out that we were finalists! I thought they were just going to show photos of the boys but we drove to Dallas in costumes and all at the crack of dawn and were interviewed on the show. 

I started scrambling making sure their costumes fit from last year. Nolan's aqua socks for his scuba diver costume were completely a scene out of Cinderella and her stepsister trying on the shoes, but we made it work. 

We didn't win but the boys were so great (WHEW, sweating that one!) and the boys LOVED that they were on TV. In fact, on the way home from church yesterday we heard Campbell talking to himself in the car and when we listened closer realized he was reenacting our GMT interview word for word. Seems like someone likes his celebrity status and 15 seconds of fame.

I can't find a clip of it online to save my life. I didn't wear a costume unless of course you count Spanx as a costume. If that's the case, then I was Super Spanx.

Next up,  Campbell's school costume parade.

Seriously, there is nothing cuter than seeing little kiddos in costumes. It just melts my heart. 

 

Don't you love how Campbell is making Nolan do all the work on the scooter. That is NOT an easy task with that kid, let me tell you. 

 

Our little princess was too little for a costume this year but did we rock out about 2-3 Halloween outfits. I already have costumes planned for this girl until she's 30. Thank you Pinterest. Now if she'll just let me boss her and carry them all out. Fat chance.

 

And FINALLY, trick-or-treat time! Gosh, remember when that's all Halloween really was? Now it's turned into the 12 days of Halloween. At least we get good use out of costumes, right?

So I couldn't talk my boys into being a mad scientist but at least the hubs was a good sport and humored me.

It was another successful Halloween on the Halloween meter.

How do I know?

Because I was exhausted. 

Til next year, folks. Better start soon now that I have three to dress!