Trick or Treating

After several years of me being gone during trick or treating, this year Ed has a business trip. Add in the cold and wet weather, and our actual trick or treating time was pretty short.

 The boys in their costumes before we set out. Josiah is wearing the dinosaur/dragon costume that TJ wore around the same age. We called him a Jojosaurus. Thomas insisted from the start that he wanted to be a cowboy scarecrow. Mom still has a scarecrow costume I wore as a kid, so I showed him a photo of that, thinking it might be an easy solution. That particular costume has overalls. TJ took one look at it and said, "No, that is a farmer scarecrow. I want to be a COWBOY scarecrow." Further questioning indicated that a cowboy scarecrow wears a cowboy outfit and then has a stick in his back. Mom and Jenn found cowboys boots as a secondhand store, we had a hat and bandana, I borrowed the holsters from mom and dad, and Thomas wore jeans and a plaid shirt as the base, with a faux leather vest I made him. We had a stick for his back but didn't push it, figuring it would make it harder to walk. He didn't remember day of, so our only nod to the scarecrow aspect was gold yarn "bracelets" so there was hay coming out of his sleeves. He was happy.

Our first trick-or-treat house: the next door neighbors. Thomas knew exactly what to do, and Jojo just followed along.

We visited about 10 houses, but by then it was starting to drizzle and get dark, and Josiah refused to ride in the wagon while Thomas refused to not ride in the wagon, so we headed home. You'll have to go with the mental image here: We're walking up the hill to our house and I've got a squirming Jojo in one arm, and I'm lugging a TJ-filled wagon behind me. We were done.

I think the boys had more fun handing out candy anyway.

Watching for trick or treaters and/or guarding the candy bowl.

I finally moved the little table into the foyer, as trying to keep the boys at the table for dinner while trick or treaters were coming wasn't working.

 TJ was very concerned that Jojo kept hovering over the candy bowl. I tried to explain that a) he had mittens on and b) he didn't understand how to open candy anyway, so it was probably okay.

Sampling the treats. Thomas ditched his costume the minute we walked in the door. :( But Jojo kept his on. I really didn't give him a choice.

Thomas was really funny while we were handing out candy. He kept coming up with these one-liners, and I had to write them down since I was the only one home to appreciate them!

A couple classic TJ quotes from the night: 
1. "What costume are you in?" (to high school boys)
2. And after they leave "They were dressed up as boys who like candy."
3. After an 8-year-old witch leaves: "She was adorable."
4. To the unsuspecting candy-giver (during the 30 minutes we trick or treated): "No! I don't like those (Reese's PB cups). Mama, take it out of my bag!" Great manners, kid. 
5. To a middle school girl dressed as a slasher/bloody mummy/who knows what: "Oh, a silly clown!"
6. To a 2-year-old at our door, after handing him candy: "What do you say? Say thank you!" 
I love 3 year olds. They're hysterical.