I really am not a huge fan of the festivities that surround Halloween.  I don't like my kids getting out of control amounts of sugar for the whole entire week leading up to the 31st.  I do not understand the decorations for Halloween, I mean they are so scary.  I do not understand the scaryness surrounding the whole day.

BUT of course every single year I dress my kids up and we “celebrate”!  My kids LOVE to dress up, so we actually do buy them costumes each year.  I won't spend more than $10 on each one and I figure that it's an investment for the rest of the year for times when they play dress up for hours!

This year we had an INCREDIBLE HULK:

An ASTRONAUNT:

A NINJA:

and a sweet little BALLERINA:

*somehow I didn't get one single picture of her alone.  Bad mom moment!

Anyhow … back to my dislike of the holiday!  The sugar, oh the sugar.  I hate candy for my kids and we are pretty strict about how much they eat and when!  I know, we are cruel!

Anyhow when we get home we put all our candy in a pile and then each kid picks 10 pieces, except for Story who got 5, but she doesn't know the difference, and then that's all we get.

The rest goes into a sack to either save until Easter (gross, i know!) or to give away!  Oh wait … before I put it all away I get my stash!  I pull out all that is chocolate and it goes in the fridge for my mommy needs!!!!

So, Halloween was a success this year.  We made it around to houses with no break down.  No one was scared out of their minds, and we were worried about Amos.  Everyone (except Story and she didn't know she missed anything) enjoyed one piece of candy before bed, and everyone now has 9 waiting for them over the next 9 days.  Oh … except Amos and Deacon who each lost one tonight in bedtime for spitting on shorts and then throwing them in each others beds.  I know, my kids are so weird!  BUT I do use the candy as a punishment and so usually the kids end up only getting about 5 out of 10 of their pieces!

I'm such a mean mom I know!

We had fun with the Stewart kids (2 out of 3 at least!) and Bush kid!  Thanks Cherie for having us for dinner and then trick or treating in your neighborhood!

*I love how in each picture August is walking away.  We couldn't get that kid to sit still, and he even had a sucker in his mouth!