I really enjoy Halloween, and the boys seem to as well. They have been so excited for candy and trick-or-treating since we got out the Halloween decorations in the beginning of October. Evan decided he wanted to be a spider. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a pattern for one and I couldn’t find one to buy that would fit him. Thankfully, grandma offered to make him the costume with some extra black fabric she had around the house. It turned out great and Evan was so excited. He loved showing everyone all his legs and everyone was so impressed with the costume. We got tons of compliments on it. Seth didn’t really have an idea, but I decided to buy him a costume since I didn’t want to worry about making one this year with a new baby. I took him to the store to pick one out and he wanted the pink poodle. After convincing him that wouldn’t be a good idea, he didn’t want any of the others. But Aunt Kiwi was with us and convinced him to try on the monkey costume and look at it in the mirror. He loved it and decided to be a monkey. He especially liked the banana in his pocket. Thanks to Aunt Kiwi for making that work out for everyone. Levi didn’t have an elaborate costume – just a Halloween outfit. I let Evan pick it out, which worked out great because it was the one I wanted also.
The boys kept asking when it would be time for Halloween until finally it was. And this year the Halloween activities just kept coming. First, we had a Halloween party and Trunk-or-Treat at church on the Saturday before Halloween. There was a chili cookoff, a Fear Factor activity with the Elder’s Quorum presidencies from our ward and Laguna Hills 3rd that did the activity with us (we won of course) and some fun games for the kids to play. Then the kids trunk-or-treated out of the back of the cars. They had a blast, and it was a great time to try out the costumes.
Over the weekend we made some sugar cookies. We made pumpkins, ghosts, bats and cats. Evan also rolled some of the dough to spell out “Boo”.
Then on Tuesday we went to the pumpkin patch with a bunch of friends. We got to pet the farm animals (mostly goats), ride in the wagon that a tractor pulls around the farm, pick vegetables, find our way around the corn maze, and finally pick out pumpkins. It was really hot and we were all tired by the end of the day, but we all had a good time.

Evan and Seth trying to feed a goat.

Picking carrots (we also got to pick green beans, onions and radishes)

Squinting in the hot sun before we pick out pumpkins.
Then on Wednesday it was time for Evan’s preschool Halloween party. I got to go give out candy at the trick-or-treating station. They also got to pick pumpkins out of the pumpkin patch in the backyard and decorate them, play Halloween games (a ring toss and beanbag toss) and make a witch craft.

Evan with his decorated pumpkin. It had two faces.
On Thursday night we finally carved our pumpkins. Evan drew his own face and cut out the jack-o-lantern all by himself (well, almost). It was fun to watch him scoop out the seeds and carve the face. Seth didn’t like scooping the insides out and waited for me to do it for him. But he really liked drawing the face and cutting it out (with a lot of help from mommy). They we so happy to put candles in the pumpkins and light them up outside.



The final products.

Jack-o-lanterns all lit up on the porch.
Finally on Friday it was time for Halloween. They looked so adorable in their costumes. The pictures don’t really do them justice. We went to grandma and papa’s house, got the costumes on and went in search of candy. This was Seth’s first year trick-or-treating and he was so excited. Last year I offered to let him go and he wanted nothing to do with it, but this year he was not shy at all and kept asking to go to more houses. Between the two of them, they sounded like a broken record – let’s go, let’s go…can we go to more houses? They got a bunch of candy and liked laying it out on the floor afterwards to check out their loot.

Two kids ready to head out in search of candy.

All the Pearson boys dressed and ready to go.

Even Levi got into the spirit.

Getting a little post trick-or-treat candy fix.
As much as I love Halloween, I am a little glad it’s over until next year.