A Normal Halloween

Halloween this year felt... normal. Which felt wonderful.

Presenting: the pumpkin, witch, dinosaur, and peacock. 

Kyler is not in the photo because 1. He's taking it, and 2. He is not dressed up in any way.

Kiddos in their costumes!
Caleb chose to be a dinosaur this year, reusing a costume that Calista and Craig have both worn (and I bought at Goodwill, myself). 

I think I've gotten my money's worth out of it!

Caleb spent all day roaring like a dinosaur.

All that roaring was hard work.

In another repeat, Craig was the silliest pumpkin ever.

But he blends into his surroundings pretty well, doesn't he?

Definitely good camouflage.

Calista decided to be a peacock for Halloween. Yes, she knows peacocks are male. They're prettier, she says. So let's show off that peacock tail.

It has 4 different colors of tulle, 48ish peacock feathers, and took me hours to make. Not to mention the crown and beak on her head. It's a good thing she decides so early and doesn't waver!

Little Miss Peacock loved strutting and dancing. She did this almost constantly, showing off that tail! I was pretty proud of the costume.

So when she won "Most Effort" at our ward trunk-or-treat, I had to take photographic evidence. She told me that I could have the medal since it was my effort, but she got to keep the candy because it was her costume and idea.

We attempted some new techniques for carving pumpkins this year, some more successful than others.

Calista took pumpkin carving very seriously and did it all herself.

Craig was a little less enthusiastic about it, even as we carved out from the bottom up for his...!

Who let this kid have a knife?!?

Don't worry, he finished carving with the same number of fingers he started with.

Completed pumpkins. Calista's pumpkin's future is so bright, she's got to wear shades!

Halloween was on a Monday, so the kiddos got to wear their costumes to school.

And to recess. The peacock tail only mildly got in the way (not as much as the orca tail did back in Grade 1!)

And, of course, we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

Weather held out nicely for us, and it all felt decidedly normal and mundane. After years of uncertainty, masks, and confusing, it was wonderful.

May you all have perfectly normal and boring holidays the rest of your life!