Growing and Showing: Halloween 2012

Spooky Footprint Ghosts sent to Uncle Austin in Germany

Halloween was so much fun this year! It was a week filled with fun activities that our whole family enjoyed. As usual, the annual Otsego Pumpkin Festival was a hit! Serena made her debut as "JoJo The Clown" and had a great time showing Ellie how to choose the perfect pumpkin. Serena enjoyed bouncing in a bouncy house for the very first time ("I'm not afraid anymore!") and playing carnival games with the Boy Scouts of Otsego.

The following weekend, we went to Duluth to visit Grandpa Phil and attended the Vineyard Church Harvest Party for the third year in a row. We had a wonderful time with The Langenbrunners. Kendall was Wendy/Pippi Longstocking (a hybrid of pig-tailed beauties) and Kylie matched Ellie in the same cow costume. Great minds think alike, Auntie Ashley!

When Halloween finally rolled around, I had the absolute joy of going trick-or-treating with Serena. I have to share this story again, because it is so sweet. After picking up the girls from school, we at a quick dinner at home before getting ready to go out. Serena kicked off the evening with a four-alarm temper tantrum after some neighborhood kids rang our doorbell and Kevin gave away what she thought was HER candy inside the giant bowl that sat near the front door. After sending herself into such a frenzy that she suddenly was overcome with a bloody nose, we calmed down, suited up and headed outdoors.

The weather was perfect and all that was needed was a warm jacket and gloves (not the snow pants, wool face mask and boots that I grew up wearing underneath our costumes). I let Serena lead the way as we zigzagged through our neighborhood in every cardinal direction while I made sure that we did not visit the same house twice (only made that mistake once - all the houses around here look the same!). On cue, I would ring the doorbell and Serena would say the line of the evening, "Trick Or Treeeeeat!" and "Thank Yoooooou!" after the candy was dropped into her iconic plastic pumpkin bucket.

After 45 minutes of clowning around, admiring the pumpkins on doorsteps and saying Hello to neighbors we've lived near for six years but have never made eye contact with, Serena had had her fill. She gave me her pumpkin and with a sigh said, "One more house and then let's go home." After receiving the final deposit for the evening, we made the spooky journey home in the dark with our glow sticks lighting the way. Hand in hand, we talked about how much fun we had together. Then, my little munchkin looked up at me and said, "Mom?" "Yes?" I answered. "Mom, we're lucky kids." With the biggest smile and lump in my throat, I replied. "Yes, we are, Serena." Best night ever.