Halloween Randomness

Some darling people I know coordinate their Halloween costumes.

Like Jonni Baloney whose entire family dressed up as different Mario characters.... yes, even the adults dressed up. I think that's so darn cute. And Katie's kiddos were all super duper coordinated.

You guys are my idols. Because what my kids chose to be were ...... drumroll please...... a table, a twin, and an injured skateboarder. There is no great photo op for costumes so random as these. Ellie was absolutley determined to be a table for Halloween. After dumpster diving for boxes, I finally went to UPS and paid over 20 bucks for a 3X3 one. A few cuts with a box knife and one trip to the thrift store later, and oh yeah, a LOT of hot glue, she had a fun costume that took everyone she saw by surprise.

Boys of course want to be as gory or scary as possible. After working my buns off on the table, i was relieved to shred up some old clothes and throw on some red and black makeup for the effect of scrapes and bruises. He was perfectly happy and as an added bonus, he got to ride his skateboard around on Halloween night.

And here is Kami's twin sister Katie. No matter that Kami is about a foot shorter than her and their hair is different colors, and so on. What they did have in common was that they are both darling. And coordinated!

Okay, a little random, but a lot fun. Can't believe another Halloween has come and gone.

A Blast from Halloween Past

the cat family, circa 1979

I Heart Granny's House

Our every-holiday tradition is to go to granny's. If there is a holiday, whatever it may be, we celebrate at granny's. Below are images of this year's Halloween celebration complete with cookie decorating and crafts at granny's house. The moments are so sweet I could eat them.

One note: For the first time EVER, the grandkids supplied the food. I took the chili and pumpkin bread and everyone pitched in by bringing other stuff. One one hand it was bittersweet, a changing of hands, so to speak, on the other hand, it was about time I got off my hiney and started SERVING instead of being SERVED. For Pete's sake, she's 99 and the most precious thing you could ever imagine. Look at her in the last image in this post: she's glowing.

Hankoween

Perhaps that post title sounds a little racy.
Just trying to be a little creative here.
The local aquarium has HallowMarine
and the zoo has Hallowzooeen.
This is the Hankins' family version! Hankoween.

One blogging challenge is how to make the same types of pictures from annual events fresh and interesting every year.

I am blogging my FOURTH Halloween! I am excited about that fact, but aware that Halloweens 2006, 2007, and 2008 could look scarily like the Halloween of 2009, just different costumes.

Traditions:
We always go to a Halloween party with my sister and her family before Halloween, followed by a grab bag of Halloween parties and decorating cookies at Granny's house. Finally, we have the visit to Granny's on Halloween Eve and then Trick or Treating in the Mackey's neighborhood, followed by a quick strike back in our own neighborhood. It is just about the most fun a kid could have. And with the weather this year, I was feeling the fun... it was absolutely gorgeous... plus there were no heavy winter coats messing with the presentation of my kids' costumes.

Speaking of that... what is up with my kids' choices of costumes?
I guess Luke's choice was pretty typical for a 6 year old boy... he always wants to be mean or scary... this year he was Cobra from the G.I. Joe show....? I have no idea who that is, really. Could be a character of a serial killer for all I know.
Then Ellie chose to be a nerd. I told her she didn't have to dress up to be a nerd. She could just go as herself. Ha ha. She was cracking us up with her suspenders, taped up glasses and pens in her pocket. She collected her Halloween candy in a backpack. Here she is with her cousins, Ana and Hallie. Look how DARLING they both look, and then, there's my nerd. One thing she does have is personality!
And Kami got this totally original idea to be duck tape girl. Duck tape seems to be "the thing" this year... the girls at school are making duck tape bracelets and covering their notebooks in duck tape. If you didn't know already, duck tape (as opposed to duct tape) comes in a plethora of colors. Even plaid. Kam fashioned her costume out of some old clothes and orange, pink and purple duck tape. The costume was actually about $ 40.00 cheaper than the Cobra dude that Luke dressed up as.... she also has a silver duck tape bow and a striped duck tape cape. Here Duck Tape Girl is with her friend Goldilocks at a Halloween party.I thought my girls both looked cute and their costumes were just right for each of them. However, for just once could they possibly look like my sister's children? Just once, put on a frilly skirt and revel in their girlishness? Pleeeease?
I call them the three pretty princesses, because that is what they are. Gorgeous. Adorable. Princessy. Precious. And such a contrast to my nerd, my duck tape girl and my... um... cobra man. Take a look at an up close contrast: the nerd and the ballerina. Sigh. I've given in to it. Don't get me wrong... I adore my kids just as they are. I am not going to squeeze their fanny cheeks into a frilly costume they don't want to wear. I might consider it though! ;-) Costume choice is just a funny part of our Hankoween.So is all the other fun stuff, like getting Boo'd. Did any of you get Boo'd? That is when someone comes and leaves you Halloween treats at night. They ring your doorbell and run away. Then, you return the favor to someone else. My kids got Boo'd and they Boo'd some friends. These lovely teeth above were from one of our fun boos. Like the eyeball cookies we made this year? Ellie called this her "Here's Looking at You" cookie.
Possibly the cutest Halloween costumes I saw were the Oompa Loompa and Willy Wonka, which further proves my point. My kids don't have to be frilly, just coordinated! That would work for me! I am not getting bitter... just sayin'....Eating some severed finger gummies. Oh so yummy.The spookiest house in the neighborhood... visiting it is a Hankoween tradition.Kami and her purple skittle of a sweet friend. This picture just kind of sums up our Hankoween. The preciousness of time with friends and family. Showing love and attention to others. Having a zest for life and breathing in each second.....

.... even if it is with my Cobra man, my nerd and my duck tape girl.

Halloween Afternoon @ Granny's House

It's a tradition!Granny with some of her great grandkids....Granny drawing a name to give away her Halloween quilt. Remember, Kami won it last year! The guy in the top right hand corner was the big winner this year..... Indiana Jones and the Pumpkin Princess on Granny's swing...Kami as a football player, Luke as IJ, and Ellie as a Pirate who lost her pants. We never found em and had to go back home before trick or treating and find some different pants. Also, the hat was so rumpled! The costume I actually paid big bucks for at Target was, sadly, the least cute.Sibling love?

What's Goin' on 'Round Here

The play is finally over.

But I don't say that in a thank-God-we-are-done-with-that-miserable-activity kind of way.....more of a it-was-a-fantastic-experience-but-I'm-ready-for-a-little-break kind of way.

Here is a nice shot of the girls before their final performance.... and for those of you who are horrified that we would allow our precious, innocent daughter to be painted up like a scary ghost with (gasp!) blood dripping out the side of her mouth and down her neck, I must tell you ....
she made new friends, and she developed confidence in getting up with those new friends in front of an audience.
she spent LOTS of time with Mom and sis... it was fun to do something with both the girls together... because they are usually going their separate ways....
... and she enjoyed the satisfaction of bringing a story to life for friends, family and even strangers. She told me that when she came out to do her curtain call, (a simple bow at the center of the stage), that her "heart springs up with joy." - her exact words (A BIG THANK YOU for those who were able to come out to the play - it meant A LOT to have you there!!!!)
Kami made friends too. She has more of a quiet personality than Elle Belle, but made a good friend in Maggie, pictured above. She also enjoyed all of the above benefits.

One more cool thing... when we were reading Caddie Woodlawn last night before bed, they were both making all these connections to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Never did I think that being in this play would be an educational experience!!

Am I crazy enough to let them try out for another play???? More on that later.

In other news.....
Granny got a new dog. Remember, she's 97. And she adopted a new puppy. She named him Freddy Ray because he was born on Uncle Fred's birthday. Yes, the whole family had to remind me that even the DOG is named Ray and I am not. Kami has her children's named planned out already: Hallie Rae, Hank Ray and Hope Rae. She said that every one of them will have Rae/Ray in their names. She sees the importance of it. She doesn't want her children to endure the pain I have endured. ;-) Anyhoo, this is a picture of Kami Rae and Freddy Rae, both smiling (and I see a little smirk of satisfaction in there too.... all the Rays have it!)
Finally, I have to share with you more about Luke. I could blog about the kid day in and day out, but I'm sure that would be a little too much about poop and toots and such for you.

He is going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween, but he's started early. He pretty much IS already Indiana Jones. In fact, Tom and I went in to check on him a couple nights ago... and found him sound asleep ... looking like THIS. My heart melteth.

No Tricks, Just Treats

Well, I got the question tonight as we were driving home from Granny's house: "Why do some people not celebrate Halloween? " As I tried to explain this touchy subject, I could anticipate The Princess of Hearts next question: "Then why do WE celebrate Halloween?" The only thing I could say is.... we don't celebrate Halloween. We celebrate life. On Halloween night, we don't pay tribute to the things of darkness. Quite the opposite: we soak in the things of light! We spend time with family; we spend time with friends. We leave nice treats for others. We try to brighten someone else's day. We have fun in our neighborhood and smile at everyone who walks by. We soak in the creativity of the costumes. We marvel at the kindness of all our neighbors. So, yes, even though we have here a scary skeleton/ghost and a spooky witch (plus a plucky cowboy), I feel sure that tonight God kept his eye on us. As for others who don't celebrate Halloween, I hope it is clear that I pass no judgment against their decisions. We all have to what we feel is right in our hearts for our own families. But for us, this was one awesome night. Plus, Kami won the quilt drawing tonight at Grandma I's house! What could be better than a Halloween-themed, hand-stitched, flannel-soft, sweet-smelling, quilt that your 96 year old granny made? Tonight, Kami hugged it and said, "this is my treasure for life." We are truly blessed on this Halloween night, and to God I lift all the glory, honor and praise!

Halloween Through the Years

As I was putting away the Halloween decorations, I came across this baby picture of Kami. I just had to giggle when I saw it. I remember this crisp, clear day like it was yesterday. My first child and her first Halloween. I couldn't have been any more excited to be a new mom or proud of my little girl. Nana had found the perfect pumpkin suit and hat, we had carved a celebratory jack-o-lantern (that was the year Barry Hinson hired Tom on at ORU), and we propped the poor little girl, not even four months old, up against the pumpkin. I guess we were oblivious at the time that she wasn't enjoying it as much as we were. It's now pretty obvious by the look on her face. 8 years later, Kamryn Rae Hankins has grown into an absolute treasure. Here she is as a 50's girl. It's safe to say that she enjoyed dressing up for Halloween much more this year! (click on the picture to get a close up look of Kami at 4 months old.)

She Didn't Grow Feathers

When Uncle Jon found out that Ellie had the chicken pox, he asked her if she was doing the chicken dance and if she was growing feathers. He then suggested that a bowl of chicken noodle soup would cure her sickness. (Ha Ha - Uncle Jon - The kids love your silly jokes and songs and can't wait to see you in 3 weeks!) Despite a bit of concern that she might grow feathers, Ellie is now quite pleased that she has been given the OK by her doctor to go back to school. Here is a shot I took of her this week, sitting in her window seat playing with her guinea pig. We spent A LOT of time together this week. Now that she's in kindergarten, she's such a busy girl. So, it was actually nice to slow down and hang out together. A couple of friends dropped off special gifts to keep her busy (Thanks Carrie and Jill and Nana of course!!!) and I thought that was really thoughtful. And nice. And it made me feel as good as it did Ellie. Noone likes to see their little girl covered with spots and feeling bad. But now we are back in business!!!

What's Wrong With One of These Pictures?

Here we have Luke and his friend Carson, posing as Diego and Spiderman. Very cool. And then there's Kami, our darling 50's girl. But what is Ellie? She is not dressed up as a sick kid. She IS sick with the chicken pox and is missing out on all the fun. Bad timing, huh? Kami (who had the chicken pox last week) has pledged to bring back some goods for Elle (who was planning on being a black cat.) The same thing happened to Kim and I growing up. I had the chicken pox and I passed them on to her just in time for Halloween! I guess that's just growing up!