Virtual Trick or Treat

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

We had such a good time with McKinley with ALL the fall festivities, but trick or treating was a hoot.

This year we all dressed up as the family cats. McKinley was Gunther Goo, paying homage to the first proper name he learned after Mama & Dada (Goo!), while Cary dressed as Venus (our very big black male cat) and I went as Valentine (our prissy and pristine white girl). We found this adorable costume for McKinley online and the cat masks locally. I even happened upon a pink heart-shaped nose and whiskers that perfectly resemble Valentine's own pink heart-shaped nose. If Cary and I look exceptionally weird, it's because those dang masks were ridiculously uncomfortable. Oh well, all for the sake of family togetherness!

This time around McKinley was up for a few more places than last year, so we trick or treated Mom, Brenda, Jodi & Dave, Sara & her Mom Gayle, our cousin Judie, Chrissy, Kay & Reagan and attempted to go to Jill's (my fault...I was on the wrong street. Geez). We even got to see McKinley's running mate, Lincoln (get it? McKinley...Lincoln...hahaha. The funniest part is that Lincoln and McKinley were visiting Reagan! Very presidential, huh? Not a one of us actually named our children after the late presidents, at least not directly). McKinley scored some super cute stuffed animals, a great sword, a bean-bag game that has been in the family for many years and he even managed some candy for Mommy & Daddy! Yahoo!

Among the week's festive ventures we all helped carve McKinley's very own jack-o-lantern. Since he was barely 3 months old at the time, we opted out of pumpkin carving last year, I mean at that time he would probably have struggled to stay awake! This year it was another story, he literally dug into that pumpkin! Suffice to say he was not so sure of the strange and stringy texture of the pumpkin guts, but he love, love, loved scooping them out and flinging the seeds about. We were thrilled with how cute his jack-o-lantern turned out - so was he!

Cary and I reminisced about the good ole days when we took our adolescent lives into our hands by carving out our pumpkins every year with dangerously sharp kitchen knives. Ugh, I think my Mom and Dad squirmed every time I insisted on taking over and giving it a shot. Now I understand. However, some genius came up with some really nifty 'pumpkin carving tools' that not only made for MUCH safer carving, but we whirled right through. NEVER was pumpkin carving so quick. Holy moly, it used to take HOURS to cut out an eye or a nose! hahaha My gosh, there are even PATTERNS to put on your pumpkin so that you get a really fancy, artistic carve instead of the old school triangular eyes and squared off mouth. Those were fun, but I'd hate to lose a child's own individual creativity by using pre-made stuff. Oh well, find a happy medium, right? Had a great time carving!!

We wish we could make it to see everyone we know and love, but instead you get our virtual trick or treat!

Happy Halloween!

Love,
Lynn, Cary & McKinley