My most emotional Halloween by far!

:)

A "ninja knight" and "my buzz"

 

This is the smile he kept giving them at picture day....I told them I didn't mind, I'd love to capture the way he really smiles.

A muscle shot

He was very excited about this costume this year, mostly for the weaponry.

He is "pachooing" and using his laser to shoot.

We were one of those houses with a bowl out front (on a dirty/sun-stained outside table no less)

I know Halloween was on Sunday this year, but there was no doubt in our mind, we were going to go.  This was our first year in our own house where we could walk around our neighborhood.  Living on campus, people never trick-or-treated.  I never really understood it, because with it being an old military base, and it being family housing, it's like the perfect set up for an awesome trick-or-treating night, but we learned after our first year there that really NO ONE does it.  I was all emotional about it the whole time we were walking around.  We left early, because I thought that people with young children do that, but we seemed to be the only ones.  We also don't have a lot of people with young kids on our street.  We live in a neighborhood that has grandparents or older people who have raised their kids in these homes.  We walked around one block, and it took us over 2 hours!  Buzz apparently isn't so fast.  It took us forever, and I enjoyed it, but also whined the whole time because I wanted to hand out candy.  I LOVE to see little kids all dressed up and be silly and make comments, and the longer we were taking, the less I'd get to actually see. 

I loved to see that this neighborhood is like Jake's family's, where neighbors will group together and have a fire in their drive way and hang out.  One group made balloon animals for each kid which I totally loved and am definitely going to do one year, first I need to learn a few more. :)  Another house gave a pack of Oreos.  A few houses gave Twilight truffles, heck ya!!! One house gave glow sticks, another fun one that the boys loved.  And lastly there were quite a few that gave fruit snacks and one with pretzels. 

Jake and I brainstormed future ideas: witches brew(my best friend's family's homemade root beer I love to make), a choice of actual tricks or treats and Jake will do magic tricks (Jake wants me to say "illusions". Does anyone watch Arrested Development?), another spin on tricks and treats with a choice of something gross, old, or a prank item, we've always wanted to give full-sized candy bars, and my favorite ideas were for the too old trick-or-treaters.  I wasn't allowed to trick-or-treat past 10 and I always hated that.  Being the youngest, I think I got away with a few more years than my siblings though. :) 

I don't know if my annoyance comes from that or the fact that people come around with no costumes, way to old, and also just shove there bags out and don't say what they need to say in order for me to willingly give them candy.  I told Jake that we have a chance to establish ourselves in this new house, and I don't want to be the grouchy lady on the block, but I do have certain Halloween tradition expectations! He just tells me that I AM that grouchy lady.  Anyways, on with my rant, I plan on making some sort of bowl or categories that are separate from my regular hand out candy that will teach those children a lesson.  I just don't know what yet.  Maybe bags of veggies, maybe old candy, maybe a bag of rocks, and all with notes that read, "You're too old to trick-or-treat", "At least try and wear a costume next time!", "You look like a hooker", etc.  Of course I haven't finalized it all yet, but I'm willing to take ideas, and maybe we can arrange a craft group next September to arrange the making of these.  Anyone?   

**Luke's costume was handmade and sewn by Jake's grandmother for Jake's youngest brother when the original Toy Story came out.  It includes the purple head piece, the white jumpsuit, the green chest plates, and the belt.  It is still in really good condition and it is beyond adorable!!! We added the wings and gloves to create the perfect Buzz.  He calls it "my buzz" and was telling everyone he was Buzz, everyday, all day.  He liked Jake(or anyone) to pick him up and fly him in the air.  Thanks Gammy for letting us use it this year!!**