Happy Halloween

Oompa loompa, doopity doo, I've got another costume for you!

I'm happy to report that Virginia thoroughly enjoyed her third Halloween.  This was probably the last year that we could select a costume for her, and Thomas went all out with his selection of the original Oompa Loompa.  He seriously considered having the costume made by someone on Etsy and paying the big bucks for it, but I luckily found a ready-made one on HalloweenCostumes.com this year.

We began the day with a trip to daddy's work to attend the "Horrorick Scarington" Halloween party.  Virginia happily decorated cookies and paraded around in her costume.  We then made a cameo appearance at GayGay's office, where Virginia put on a show for Susan's coworkers.  Then it was off to a chaotic Wee Play Halloween party with Kim, followed by a 2 1/2 hour nap so that she could rest up for the big night.

Trick or treating started early - about 5:15 for the toddlers.  Virginia was a little hesitant and wanted help in ringing doorbells and approaching new people.  But once she learned that there was candy involved, she came out of her shell a bit, saying "trick or treat" and "thank you" to everyone she saw.  We ran into a lot of her buddies while trick or treating, and she had a blast.  She also loved answering the door later in the night when we came home to hand out candy.

Here are a few of the best photos from the night!

First candy of the night with dada (a reward for wearing the green wig for the photo opp):

Best buddy Tasha at Chez Neumansky's Haunted Pumpkin Patch:

With playgroup pal Xander (aka Buzz Lightyear):

The Wallace girls from across the street (future babysitters!):

Oktober & October

Fall is here in California!  We started the month of October off right, by celebrating Oktoberfest at our favorite local German restaurant, Speisekammer.  Thomas and I enjoyed our German beer, and Virginia wore herself out at the jumpy house.

Virginia is getting very excited about Halloween this month.  She is finally at the stage where she fully understands holidays - the goodies, the decorations, and the rituals.  And Halloween is a BIG DEAL in Alameda.  The many old Victorian houses really lend themselves to creating a spooky atmosphere and the residents of them decorate them right.  To see a glimpse of some of the better Halloween decorations on the  island, check out our friends, the Neumansky family, and the Alameda Haunt Your House contest.

We made the trip last weekend to Moore's Pumpkin Patch out in Castro Valley.  Virginia's bud, Johnstone, came along and we rode teacups and enjoyed more bouncy house fun.  Very few pumpkins were purchased, but at least we wore the kiddos out for the morning.

Stay tuned for more spooky updates in the coming days...