The whole crew, in Halloween garb.
Today is Halloween. I have been a parent for nearly 9 years, and I have three children who understand that Halloween is a free-for-all for free candy while living out your childhood fantasies in full costume. I know the great anticipation with which kids approach this most beloved community holiday. And so, I most certainly would NEVER have intentionally left Halloween unmentioned for the last week so I would have a few moments peace from the costume and trick-or-treating talk. Halloween was NOT so unheralded in our house that my kids actually didn't believe me when we mentioned casually this morning at breakfast that on our list of to-do's was to go get them some costumes so they could trick-or-treat, since it was Halloween today. Oh, and get some pumpkins so they could carve jack-o-lanters too. No, Not I!! I did NOT leave costumes and carving pumpkins until Halloween itself.
It was NOT nearly three o'clock before we finished school, got a few chores done, and managed to get out of the house to the dollar store. I did NOT hit the dollar store up for a few ghost masks, a princess crown and wand, some facepaints, a couple of capes, a pumpkin costume, some leggings, and a witch's hat (that was all they had!), and glow wand and a few glow necklaces. Luckily for me, my kids had asked to be ghosts and a princess (Katya had no choice - she's the pumpkin). Odds and ends for those costumes are easy to find; I got everything we needed for $25, and my kids were thrilled.
No, this is NOT like me. I am so uber-organized and pour all my time and talent into creating gorgeous detailed costumes for the weeks before Halloween. I NEVER wait until the last minute to grab anything that works.
We then did NOT roll into the grocery store at about 3:30, grab a few pumpkins and some candy, and some loaves of french bread for dinner, and get back home by 4:30. We did NOT carve jack-o-lanters and put them out only an hour before dark.
Claire did NOT carry a sheep-shaped candy basket with her. When you squeeze the sheep's hoof, it does not say "Happy Easter!"
Katya did NOT go around singing "Happy Birthday" today, because she knew we were celebrating, but just wasn't really sure WHAT we were celebrating.
I was impressed with the kids' tenacity when they all dug in to their pumpkins to clean them out!
That's pretty ewwwy and gooey! And it swallows up her whole arm!
Sometimes a princess has got to do what a princess has got to do….rolling up the sleeves to get to work!
Gutting her fellow pumpkin. Cannibal.
Spooky! I hate these things!
We're not sure what Katya was for Halloween this year, except for cute.
Our princess, complete with makeup. Enough glitter will make any girl feel like a million bucks! (And yes, I do make her wear warm clothes underneath in order not to freeze out there!
Collin did NOT decide last minute that the ghost mask was too scary, and dig out his trusty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume from the dress-up box downstairs. Whatever works! 
Our finished products, awaiting trick-or-treaters (all 20 of them who showed up tonight!)
These are the girls'. Can you tell which is Claire's? The princess with the crown, of course!
These are the boys'. They're sort of into matching lately.
