Trick or treating is for the birds

Or should I say "trick or tweeting"?

We went to our very last ward trunk or treat party - for real- I'm never going again. Braden was apparently there although I didn't ever find him. Which is too bad because he wasn't able to come home for real Halloween either. In light of this, I decided I would drive to Texas unannounced and have the kids trick or treat to my parents house. I made this decision at 4:30 in the morning on Halloween. It was a crazy day. We made it there just in time to catch them walking out their door. My Mom didn't recognize them at first and talked to Anabelle for a minute without knowing it was her. When Elise approached the door she gave it away. It was fabulous to surprise them like that and demand that they not go grocery shopping but trick or treat with us instead.

  I taught Emmett to say "chicken treat?" but he went with "MORE CANDY" instead. He really did that. He ran from house to house yelling "MORE CAAAAAAANDY"! And then he would get more candy. And then, in the sweet innocent voice of a one year old baby, he would quietly say, "Thank you so much". And then he would turn around and run to the next house yelling, "MORE CAAAAAAANDYYYYY". And that is why I love Halloween. 

We ended our night by surprising Grandma at her nursing home. I'm pretty sure we evoked moderate smiles from some old and grumpy people so I'd say it was a win. Plus, the residents gave the kids Little Debbie snacks since they had no candy so it was mutually beneficial. 

It was a really great Halloween. I made no less than 20 terrible jokes and puns relating to birds (I'm tired of your fowl language! Don't pick your beak! Don't ruffle my feathers! ).Each time Anabelle just shook her head and said, "Oh, Mom", out of pity. 

When will the kids be too old for a family themed costume? Never! Not as long as I'm the one finding their shoes, hanging up their towels, making their sandwiches, and smelling their breath for effective teeth brushing. This. This is all I ask. Well, not entirely true. I ask them to do all the aforementioned things but since I've come to realize that they are actual literal impossibilities-this. This is what they must do for me. 

I think next year I'll give the glue gun a rest and talk the kids into being a biker gang. 

Lila insisted she be something scary or spooky. I told her owl be the judge of that. Also, she's the only one that likes my bad jokes. So naturally she's my favorite.

Our 5th chicken. He put up a wild fight when I attempted to stuff him into this suit. But I wasn't going to let him break a vital tradition and ruin all of Halloween (for me). I carefully snuk his legs in while shoveling candy into his mouth and by the time he realized what happened he was zipped up and the thing was done. Muahahahahahaha!