Between all the neighbors’ decorations going up extra early this year, the Halloween themed parties, pumpkin patch outings, and chances to wear costumes, this Halloween seemed to last ALL of October. Samantha and Amelia talked about trick or treating every day leading up to actual Halloween, and in their toddler sense of time, it must have seemed like forever in coming. I was happy when it was all over!

In September, I asked the girls what they wanted to be this year and after making their selection, they regularly changed their mind every hour thereafter until Halloween. Samantha vacillated between a caterpillar, a butterfly, a princess, and a bunny, while Amelia was undecided between an owl and a snake.

This doesn’t even include every time we went in a store and thousands of new costume ideas popped into their little brains. One day in September, we happened to be in Costco and the girls were drawn like moths to a flame to the princess costumes placed strategically/evilly at the front of the store. Since they were cheap, I let the girls each pick out one for dress-up clothes in the hopes that they would get sick of them by the end of October and opt for the halfway homemade costumes I had originally planned on, Batman and Robin!

Despite talking about their 50,000 different costume choices all month, the girls ultimately warmed to the idea of being superheroes (especially when they found out Daddy was being one too) and ran around all of Halloween pretending to fly with their capes. The tutus on their costumes sealed the deal since they have never been known to reject wearing anything with a tutu!

On Halloween, before our neighborhood block party began, we went up to the park to take some pictures of the girls in all their superhero glory!

A few weeks prior to Halloween, I showed the girls their costumes and had them pick out which one they wanted. Thankfully, there were no fights, and Samantha chose Batgirl, while Amelia chose Robin. After hearing me call Samantha a “bat” all day, however, Amelia decided she REALLY wanted to be a bat, too. So thereafter, we referred to them as the “Black Bat” and the “Red Bat.”

Up, up and away!

Couldn’t resist a flashback. 2013 as Thing 1, Thing 2.

2014 as Madeline.

2015 as Batgirl Black Bat and Robin Red Bat. Poor Bandit is the same Skeledog every year.

Crimefighters or partners in crime?

Samantha and Amelia 2013, 2014, and 2015. They look so grown up now!

  The cutie patootie Amelia in years past.

Precious Samantha! Where did my babies go?

My superheroes! Jake’s costume was easy since all I had to buy was a superman t-shirt. He even already had those dorky glasses, which were perfect for Clark Kent.

I went as Catwoman this year, or as most people called it, the pregnant cat.

Samantha ready to take on the world.

Red Bat to the rescue.

Even superheroes need to be comforted by Daddy when they fall off the playstructure.

Contemplating their next move.

Me and baby girl on the hunt for chocolate.

Block party time! Our awesome neighbors, the Abbotts, invited a bunch of neighbors over for a Halloween feast with catered Las Golondrinas Mexican food. Yum! Other neighbors brought crock pot queso, crock pot pulled pork and tons of other fall-ish goodies. It was just what baby wanted!

Isabel and Bandit were both skeletons this year.

After stuffing ourselves at the block party, it was time to hit the neighborhood.

Family costumes throughout the years. In 2013, we had two different costumes, one for a 20s themed party and one for actual Halloween.

Neighborhood friends Maya, Parker, Camdyn, and Addison. Amelia was fascinated with Logan’s homemade Ironman costume.

Cutest little ladies of the neighborhood! Amelia, Samantha, Kennedy, Jadyn, Addison, Camdyn, Maya and the precious baby Quincy.

The girls were a little bit timid going up to doors last year, but this year they totally had it down and went all by themselves. About every ten minutes, we kept asking if they were done so we could go home. This did not go over well.

We trick-or-treated our neighborhood by ourselves for a bit before catching up with the big kids, Parker and Jenny.

The girls with Parker, Halloween 2014. They all look like such babies!

Some of the neighborhood decor was a wee bit frightening. There were definitely a few doors Samantha and Amelia decided to avoid.

We stopped by Logan’s house to take a picture of his dogs, who were also dressed up as Batman and Robin.

Only half way done– the night was still young!

Phi and I showing off our Halloween bumps.

After an hour, it was obvious that Samantha and Amelia were getting tired, but in typical toddler fashion, they still begged to keep going. I let them choose one piece of candy to eat that night, which definitely gave them a second wind.

Amelia the zombie.

After the girls started complaining their candy buckets were too heavy and asking us to carry them, we called it a night and the girls finished out their lollipops of choice at the block party with our neighbors.

Somehow, Amelia snuck two more lollipops out of her candy bucket and clutched them for dear life. She was asleep before she could finish any of them.

I’ll trade you lollipops, sis!

Last year, the girls were too little to really be interested in candy at all. This year was a different story. My plan for the candy stash was to let them have a piece or two and then let them know that the Candy Fairy was going to stop by our house that night. If they chose to leave out their candy for her (to be distributed to other less fortunate boys and girls around the world), she would leave them a present in return.

Despite the awesomely over-sized Costco special that the Candy Fairy’s husband had picked out for them, the girls were NOT having anything to do with it! They clutched their candy buckets all the way to bed, terrified that the evil Candy Fairy would come to take it away from them!

So the Candy Fairy was a FAIL.

Or so I thought.

The girls were exhausted and cranky after their sugar high wore down and went straight to bed. In the morning, the girls asked about the Candy Fairy again and I told them the deal was still on the table if they so chose. And they did!

The Candy Fairy was even magnanimous enough to leave them some of the healthier juice boxes, crackers, granola bars and fruit gummies some people had given out. By then, the girls had completely forgotten about the candy and were happily engaged in art projects the rest of the day. Honestly, the Candy Fairy probably didn’t even need to stop by our house with any gifts, since I think the girls would have forgotten about their candy stash after a few days anyway. Live and learn!

Still, not having to deal with the less-than-pretty after-effects of two sugar-crazed toddlers is a Halloween win in my book.

Here’s to a festive and sugar-reduced Halloween 2015!

Lots of love,