While I got my flu shot on Friday at Walgreens, Granddaddy kept Helen Grace entertained with the inflatable haunted house at the front of the store. {Maybe this could qualify as her first haunted house?} The girl has started cackling like crazy when she really gets tickled, and she rivaled the wild laughing of the witch that the house played when the motion sensor was set off. She could have stayed in this house all day. I think Grandma needs to get one for next year…. ;)
To say that our neighborhood takes trick or treating lightly would be like saying that Ole Miss fans just grab some McDonalds before a football game. I was not properly prepared for the craziness that fell upon us after the sun set.
Since our neighborhood has lots of long driveways, our HOA asks us to hand out candy at the end of our driveways instead of at the door. Our neighbor invited us to go on a hayride, so I really hadn’t put much thought into handing out candy. At least my mother was forward thinking enough to throw together a really snazzy table situation for us while I was at work today. {Reason #1,231 that I’m so happy she has retired!} She also had dinner and cupcakes ready for us when we got home which was a lifesaver as I rushed to get Helen Grace dressed.
While Helen Grace and I rode on the hayride to do some trick or treating, her daddy and grandparents manned our table at the end of our driveway. Throughout our tour of the neighborhood, we saw people with stand up heaters at their tables, a projector tv playing the NFL game, full-sized animated skeletons, strobe lights, and even a casket. Buses of church groups from all over the county parked at the entrance to the neighborhood, and the streets were packed with trailers pulling loads of kids.
Even though I spent most of the night with my mouth hanging open, we really had a great time soaking it all in. Helen Grace thought the ‘hayride’ and ‘more houses’ were really cool and loved getting on and off the trailer. She was pretty brave at saying Trick or Treat on her own, and I’m so glad that Bubba and her grandparents were here to watch it all as well. What a fun night!
Getting our night started off right
We kicked off our Halloween festivities with Zoo Boo on Friday night. This was our first time to go, and Helen Grace LOVED IT!
Weeks ago, I bought Helen Grace an Olivia (the pig from the cartoon) costume, but when I asked her what she wanted to be, she said a ghost. I thought it was just a random choice and assumed she would soon forget…and then she continued to ask to be a ghost for a month. So last week, I called my dear friend Rachel and asked her to throw together a ghost costume like one I had seen on Etsy, and HG couldn’t be more pleased with the result.
Helen Grace was really excited about going to the zoo for Zoo Boo and getting to wear her costume, but she started to balk as we approached the zoo. When she saw other kids walking in with their costumes on though, she quickly asked us to help her into hers. She was very hesitant about going up to the people giving out candy- she kept wanting me to ask for her- but she slowly starting warming up.
The highlights of the night were the boat ride and the dance party. Since all the other kids were riding the rides, she wanted desperately to ride as well. She had so much fun on the boat ride that we had to immediately get back in line. Then we found the dance party in the amphitheatre near the pandas, and I thought we’d never get her out!
We will definitely be making Zoo Boo a Halloween staple for our family- great times!
Our best attempt at a family picture
I thought we’d try our hand at painting a pumpkin this year, and Helen Grace thought that was the coolest thing since sliced bread (or since Fresh Beat Band in her world). She basically refused to let me document with photos, so I just have a few at the beginning and then one of the finished product. :)
