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We played cat and mouse this year.  A black cat and Minnie Mouse to be exact.  I had help carving my pumpkins too.  Another cat and a ball of fire.

We had a spare moment in between birthday parties, so we headed South, to the Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch.

Wow, we had fun.  The weather was perfect, we got a hayride to and from the pumpkin patch, we got the two best pumpkins there and the girls probably spent an hour jumping on the inflatables.

Sam went on a three story tall slide and came down so fast she landed on the ground kinda hard.  I think that was a sufficient enough negative outcome to make her terrified of trying it again.  She much preferred the obstacle course.  Have a look at the pictures, you be the judge.

As usual, Halloween was even more fun this year. Samantha ran up to each door with great gusto and yelled as loud as she could “Trick or Treat!” Unfortunately, she never rang the doorbell first. When the door was finally opened, she forgot her manners when a bowl of candy was in front of her! Ellie rode on Daddy’s shoulders, so didn’t get into it a lot and was still tuckered out by the end of the night. It was also Brian’s first time at true Trick or Treating and I think he enjoyed it too!

Samantha painted a pumpkin again this year, and it looks almost exactly like last year’s.

And as usual, I carved my pumpkin.

And our little ghouls were Wonder Woman and a lady bug.

Halloween just gets more fun each year!  Samantha had so much fun painting pumpkins, dressing up and ringing doorbells.  I had to prompt her with the “Trick or Treat” and “Thank You.”  (Am I the only one who doesn’t like answering the doorbell and getting a bucket shoved in my face without even a “Trick or Treat?”)  She came up with the “Happy Halloween” on her own.  It was so cute!

We started the evening by painting pumpkins.  I intended to do this at her birthday party, but I was too ambitious.  Halloween afternoon sufficed.  Her pumpkin was solid blue.  Naturally.

I carved my pumpkin during “nap” time.  If you don’t know, I LOVE to carve a pumpkin.  I usually don’t see how I can find the time, but then magically, Halloween afternoon opens up.

Samantha as a bee.

Our pumpkins.  Mine was carved.  Samantha’s were all painted blue.  Brian’s was a bee (whose eye got smudged).

We headed down to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday.  What a beautiful day!  It got rather warm if you were in the sun, but that was remedied by a cold treat in the shade.

Samantha wasn’t thrilled to go on a hayride, but you have to to get back to the big pumpkin fields. (We were towed by a big noisy tractor!)

Ellie didn’t seem to mind.

Once we got there, Sam was in search for a little pumpkin. I think she was trying to find one that she could carry because she would pick one up randomly then decide it was too big or too heavy! We got the smallest one that we could find, but it’s still a mostly normal size pumpkin. I guess she was thinking she could find something like we have as decorations all over the house.

(Brian, why didn’t you tell me that Ellie had a tail?!  I would have fixed that!)

We skipped out on the hay maze, but maybe we’ll try it next year.  This was the first year we tried the jumpy things.  I knew she would have a blast. She mostly played in the big pumpkin, but went down the Sabertooth Tiger slide once!

Samantha and I had shaved ice as a treat.  Hers was blueberry and bright blue!  Here she is trying to do “silly eyes.”

(Ellie isn’t doing it right either…)

We had a great time.  We saw several families that we knew, so I guess it was the weekend for picking out your pumpkin!  Now it’s time to research how I’m going to carve my pumpkin.