Happy Three Halloweens

October is so much fun. It's the month o' Halloween! We got to celebrate three times...

First (actually 2nd) - with some of our international friends - pumpkin carving is a very American tradition, even though other countries are starting to adopt the dressing up part of the holiday. We got a group together and hung out at the patio of EZ's to carve up some pumpkins and then eat.

 Our friends Yiyi and Fei with their first pumpkin!

 Kyle and Rebecca

 Me ad Lily.

 Christal and Nathan.

Celebration #2 (which actually happened first): The World's Best Book Club. It was my turn to host, so of course I bummed off my mom and we had it at her place. The perfect place - no (sweet) husband trying to get three kiddos to bed, and her Halloween decorations are spooky and kooky and perfect. The real Hostess with the Mostess: Bruelda the (Friendly/Kooky/Crazy?) Witch.

We read Dracula by Bram Stoker. (If you think you know the story because you know the cartoon/teen vamp version of Dracula - you are wrong!) We dressed up...a Lady Bug, Princess Elizabeth, a Garden Gnome, Lucy (from Dracula), Momma with a Bun in the Oven!, and Piglet. 

 Our book club is so awesome Rachel Zoe even dropped by. Bananas. I die!

My Dracula brownie/cake.

 This cheese may have actually tasted good but it looked so gross it pretty much didn't get eaten.

 Witch finger bread sticks. Yummy!

Okay, now on to Halloween #3 - the one about the kids!

Bee (in her Bee costume) dropped by after nap to help us get suited up and out the door for the Muke's party. Bee helping Boots (look familiar?) get her hat on...

 Still not quite awake from her nap.

 Owen was SO excited about his cow costume - it was a total hodge-podge, but it worked! The hat is from Owen's Co-op Gin - outside of Ralls, TX - where my McElroy grandparents lived - I thought it was a nice touch - and the horns are just lightly stitched on so the hat can be saved! The suite is from a school play (?) that Uncle Luke (?) was in in roughly 3rd grade - mostly, we know that it was in Nana's costume stash and had an awesome tail. And the cow bell was Bee saving the day (again) by running by Hobby Lobby.

 Bee, Boots, Cow.

 Garden Gnome Family.

 Headline: GARDEN GNOME GIVES BIRTH TO COW, MONKEY AND BABY GNOME!

 Cows make silly faces.

 So...if you're thinking - hey, Alison - why are you always dressing Kyle up in stupid costumes? Remember Diego? Remember the Fat Chef? Well...I am the good wife here. Check out these poor husbands! My Garden Gnome husband has nothing on Mr. Potato Head and Winnie the Pooh!

 And the lovely wifies. Is Melissa not THE BEST Jessie the cowgirl (from Toy Story)? She even had a little pull-string in the back! You've seen Piglet before. And Christal - the world's cutest non-cartoon cowgirl.

 Here are a couple group shots from the party. Unfortunately I was inside feeding Maggie so we're not featured. But you'll see the rest of our crew...

 And all sorts of other interesting beings...

 Of course the party ended with trick-or-treating. Here is Aunt Mel's speed-trick-or-treating group. Seriously - they ran from house to house. And no, she didn't go into labor...

That's what Thanksgiving is for!