Costume Time!

The kids showed off their costumes for the first time on Thursday night as we attended our first Halloween-themed event of the weekend. Leah debuted as a ladybug for her first Halloween, and there is nothing sweeter than looking at those precious chubby cheeks and bright blue eyes peek out from her hooded, plush costume. Winnie wore her annual devil horns and cape, and this costume always makes me laugh. Dear Winnie truly has matured into the best dog in the entire world and is no longer the impish, mischievous puppy that she was when I first dressed her up as a devil 7 years ago. Maybe I need to look for an angel costume for her next year. Luke enthusiastically called himself a "Super Golfer" the first time he donned his golfer costume. I think it sounds much more exciting and fun to him than a plain, ole' golfer, so we're rolling with it. He looks too cute for words in his little knickers, argyle vest, tasseled shoe covers, cap on head, and golf bag & clubs in hand. He insisted on posing with every mascot that we encountered, and we happily indulged him as he smiled with each character for a picture:







Our first weekend Halloween event was called "Enchanted Tracks", and was held at one of our local parks & recreation complexes. This adorable family festival allowed you to meet classic fairy tale characters while trick or treating through an "Enchanted Forest":







As we approached the Beauty and the Beast area, Luke announced, "Look, it's a buffalo!" Everyone, including the Beast, thought this was hilarious. Poor Luke- he'll learn all about Disney princesses soon enough as Leah grows into that stage. I'm sure our little Super Golfer must have been relieved to spot familiar boy-friendly characters like Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, and he gave them high fives (like the old pals that they are) before introducing them to Leah:





There was also a Mythical Magical Maze, Gray Friar Tavern with yummy treats, and Enchanted Village complete with bounce houses and slides, games, face painting, and balloons. Grandpa is in town visiting us, and our entire family had lots of fun at Enchanted Tracks. It was a fantastic kick-off this evening to our Halloween weekend:






The fun continued as Winnie was invited to her very own Halloween party yesterday with her doggie friends from the neighborhood. It was a riot to see all the pets in their costumes, and our little devil had a blast! The newest canine additions to our street are two 10-week-old puppies. Luke was enamored with these sweet furballs:









This afternoon, we attended the annual Boo in the Zoo event at the Greenville Zoo. It was a beautiful fall day, and our zoo does a wonderful job of setting up cute decorations and Trick or Treat stations for the kids. We had a great time, and Luke already has collected quite a stash of Halloween goodies:









Finally, here are the "snack o' lanterns" that I made tonight in preparation for Luke's Halloween party at preschool tomorrow. I was determined to bring a healthy treat, and I thought that these navel oranges filled with grapes were very cute:

(Thanks to my friend, Carey, for the inspiration for this idea.)

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy, fun-filled day of Halloween festivites at Luke's school, our neighborhood children's party tomorrow afternoon, and trick or treating in the evening. We can't wait!