Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween this year, with 2 new, cute little people to help us celebrate! The day before Halloween was my first day alone with all 4 kids, all by myself. For 3 wonderful weeks, I had constant help: 2 weeks with my mom, and 1 week with my sister Amanda. They were both wonderful help and did so much. But for one day, I did it! I survived my own children! :) I can't say that any of us showered or were even out of our pajamas (maybe the kids were), but everyone was in one piece and sane when Ben got home. Whew..... one day down, infinity to go!

After dinner, we decided to carve our one lonely pumpkin that we had (thanks Grandma for buying it for us while you were here!) This is the first year we have ever carved pumpkins as a family.

Before, ready to go!

Ben told the kids they had to reach in and dig out all the slimy "pumpkin guts" and they weren't too sure what to think of that.....

Ben did most of it, needless to say.

But they had a great time and were both so excited to put a candle in it and put it out on the porch.

Halloween day brought all of our dressed up little munchkins.

First we had Alexis, our Skeleton and Leah the Ghost!

In retrospect, we should have put Leah in the skeleton outfit, since she is the smaller of the two and when she's naked, she really does look like a little skeleton with just bones.

The babies sitting with their "look-alikes." People say Leah looks like Chloe (although Chloe started off 5 pounds heavier than Leah, so it's hard to tell right now, for me, although I am seeing it more and more) and that Lexi looks like Mitch.

Alexis, the Skeleton

Leah, the friendly Ghost

Chloe LOVES LOVES LOVES holding her sisters

With the babies being born just a few weeks before Halloween, I didn't give much thought to costumes for the kids this year. The week before Halloween, Chloe asked if she could be a witch. After two years of being a princess, I thought it would be a fun change. Once we got her witch costume put together, Chloe was ecstatic and could not wait to get dressed up.

Here she is, showing us her scariest witch face.

She asked my sister Amanda, "Amanda, what kind of witch do you want me to be: a nice witch or a bad witch? You choose, I don't care." Amanda said "A bad witch" and there she is with her bad witch face. The cutest bad witch I've ever seen......

Ready to ride off into the night on her broom....

Our little pumpkin. Mitch wore this same costume last year, and Chloe wore it two years as well. He did not want to wear the little hat, but when we told him he couldn't get any candy unless he had it on, he became much more cooperative (of course).

My parents were here for the weekend, our first visitors on Halloween. My dad faithfully dresses up for Halloween each year and always has great costumes and did not disappoint this year. He was a biker and my mom his biker babe!

The Andros kids

If I didn't know this was my dad, I would not be letting my son be walking the streets with him! Mitch was a bit weary of my dad when he first put on the costume, but soon realized it was still Papa and had no problem letting his scary looking guy haul him around trick or treating. He would even lean over and kiss Papa right on his fake mustache!

Last year our trick or treating experience was..... interesting. Chloe was so shy and when she'd get up to a door, she'd freeze, stick her fingers in her mouth and look down at the ground while Ben and I embarassingly mumbled "Trick or Treat!" for her all night. Mitch wasn't walking last year and Ben and I had to switch off every 5 minutes holding him. It was a long night.

This year was so much better and so much fun. Chloe RAN to each door (Mitch tried to keep up and we are SO glad he is walking this year!) and she would sweetly say "Trick or Treat" at every door with no ounce of shyness. She even chit chatted with a few of the people at the houses we went to like they were long lost buddies. She would politely say "Thank You." One time she forgot to say thank you and when she remembered a minute later she said, "Oh, no Mom! I forgot to say thank you, I'm so sorry, it was an accident, I'm sorry!"

Mitch was quite slow this year, but so cute. At the door Chloe would say "Trick or Treat" and Mitch would yell "HALLOWEEN!" When people would put the bowl down and let the kids pick their treats, Mitch would do very well and take one piece, then continue to help himself by the handfuls until Ben or I would run up and stop him. Everyone was really nice and patient with him, although one lady, when Mitch went in for his signature handful move, said, "Oh, MY!" Welcome to 2 year old's trick or treating......

In an hour and a half, here is the finished product.....

Mitch loved the suckers the most. Look Mom, no hands!