Halloween happenings

We enjoyed various Halloween festivities throughout October:

We paraded.

For the third year in a row, the girls participated in the Hampstead Women's Club Halloween event.  Princess costumes were the obvious choice.  The girls paraded around the streets of the Hampstead village with the other children, collecting treats along the way.  The parade concluded with all the children and parents taking in a movie at the local cinema. 

We carved.

While the girls were on their school break and I was about to pop a baby, to occupy ourselves we had some fun carving jack-o-lanterns.  The favorite part for both girls was watching me pull out all the pumpkin guts.

We baked and decorated.

One child added frosting and sprinkles.

One child ate the frosting and sprinkles.

We partied.

Olivia's classmates (twins turning 5) had a birthday party on Halloween.  Costumes for children and adults were encouraged.  The girls wanted to go as insects - a ladybug and a bumblebee - and Quinn had a skeleton outfit so Geoff and I decided to pull together costumes to complete the family dress up.  My costume was easy.  I went as myself...momma of a newborn baby.  Geoff's coworker randomly had a dinosaur costume in his office that he left Geoff borrow so we were set. 

Side note: the highlight of the dinosaur costume was Geoff coming him from work with the costume and putting it on before he walked in the door.  Hearing the door open, Ashton ran towards the door to greet Daddy, but instead spotting a dinosaur instead, she started shrieking.  Poor thing was shaking in fear while the rest of us were shaking in laughter at her reaction.  Such compassionate parents we are.   

Our family took home the party prize for best costumes. I really think it was more a prize for effort for showing up to the party at all, let alone in costumes, with a 9 day old baby.  Either way, we'll take it!

We trick-or-treated.

After the birthday party ended, we took the girls trick or treating.  This was our first time trick or treating in London.  I can't believe the last time we did it Olivia was only 13 months old!  Halloween isn't nearly as popular here as it is in the States so we had to search the neighborhood streets a bit for homes participating, but we eventually found enough.  It took them a little while to get the hang of saying "Trick or Treat" when people opened their front doors, but they got it.  By the last house.