Halloween

This year we decided to be a family of clowns. I purchased the pattern and used some of the old sheets and pillowcases I had horded from the SWAP (an activity where you bring old things that you no longer use to swap with others) we had at our last ward activity. We also stopped by the thrift store to find colorful sheet sets, we lucked out and found an NFL team sheet and striped curtain sets. Overall we spent less than $20 and the majority went to bias tape, rick rack, hooks, zippers and elastic to make the costumes. Grandma Nativa spent a month with us so I convinced her to be a clown too!

I personalized each costume to fit our personalities, or better yet our hobbies and interests. Acalias is as cute as a button so I thought his costume could use some cute buttons. I'm the runner in the family so I placed a patch of a bugs bunny runner on my arm. Derek grew up in Michigan and attended many Lions games as a child, he still love's the team to this day. Grandma has 4 Great-grandchildren who she adores so she got four little hand buttons to represent each one of them.

The Halloween holiday was busy for us this year. It started off with Mother Goose time at the local library on Friday. I loved seeing all the other little kids in their costumes. Acalias enjoyed the snacks they offered, once he finished he found another child with a sucker and snatched it away from him. Goodness, my child is aggressive especially when he wants something. I'm working on correcting that, it's an ongoing process in our household.

Enjoying party snacks with great-grandma.

The sucker thief!

On Halloween day I participated in the Halloween Hustle 5k in Morgantown. We woke up to iced windshields and snow and I was not excited about the freezing cold temperatures. The race registration fee was donated to the Children's Museum and they encouraged us all to wear costumes. When we arrived, no one had on costumes so I decided to try to wear my poncho because it was pouring slushy snow. As more runners showed up in costume, I gave in and put on my clown costume.

The run went well. I enjoyed the challenge of running in costume and enduring the elements. It was  the coldest race I have ever run. I thought about running the Frozen Sasquatch 15 miler in January but running this race helped me visualize what running on an icy trail in freezing conditions would be like. No thank you! I'll pass on winter trail runs.

Before and After the race, I was soaking wet!

My #1 fan is clapping for me.

I ran the 5k in 24 minutes and placed 2nd in my age range. Acalias and I explored the Children's Museum while we waited for the other runners to finish.  I couldn't tear him away from the kitchen area, he loved it.

He also enjoyed the tools.

When we returned home, I threw my costume in the wash and prepared several dishes for the ward party. I was in charge of the doughnut on a string game so I sent Derek to pick up my order of 5 dozen doughnuts. I painted grandma's face and she laughed throughout the entire process. This year was the first time she had ever dressed in costume to celebrate Halloween.

Starting with the cutest clown of the pack, Acalias 16-months-old. 

He wasn't a big fan of the wig.

The family.

OK so we're not the greatest at applying clown make-up. 

All the primary children were so afraid of us! 

side note: I made my pant legs short on purpose because I didn't want them dragging on the ground when I ran my race.

Yup, this is my hair. I sprayed it with a lot of paint spray. 

Thank goodness I didn't have a problem washing it out. 

Grandma Nativa

Trunk-or-treat, ate the candy as he received it. 

Halfway through the party we washed our make up off. 

It was thick and uncomfortable on our faces. 

On the way home.

A walk with Skoey in his costume.

Our failed attempt to take a family picture with the dog...hey at least we tried. 

We've already got next years theme and costumes picked out for next year!

We love Halloween. 

October in West Virginia

Did I mention how beautiful the drive is to work is each day? I've been leaving a bit early each day to take pictures. My camera tends to go everywhere with me now. The fog is so thick that I feel like I'm in a dream. Now I understand why there is so much road kill, often people can't see more than five feet in front of them. One day I saw a huge hog (the kind my family would roast over an open fire pit:) in the middle road. I nearly had to come to a complete stop to get around it because it was so big.I think it broke lose from a nearby farm.





The Greenbrier river laces through out Greenbrier County, the fog is so thick that the river is barley visible


This is by far the straightest stretch of the drive into work. I didn't dare stand in the middle of a curvy road.





This is Skofeild, after work he is so worked up to get out of the house. This week he has regressed into chewing things once again. Of course it's always my stuff...another favorite pair of shoes and a library book. For now Skofeild is back in the cage once again, he's pretty miserable now.



We went to a Corn Maze with the Norths, at Union town. It was fun to get away on a double date.




My cute honey bun!