Party of EIGHT: Halloween 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween 2012

Halloween was so much fun this year! The boys are both at an age where they get really excited by the magical word "candy"!!

A couple weeks before the big day, we headed to Wisconsin for an adventure on the Pumpkin Express. We have two little train lovers in our family and I thought taking them on a real train to pick up a pumpkin would be right up their alley.

We arrived in Osceola and parked at the school in town due to the limited parking at the train depot. A 1950's vintage bus pulled up and off we went to the train depot.

After arriving at the train depot and picking up our tickets, we explored the area and even got to go inside an old train car while we waited for the Pumpkin Express arrive.

Cole was a bit unsure about the train depot after getting spooked by a very loud train whistle (poor kid)!

Eventually the train came chugging down the track...

Yippee! The Pumpkin Express was here! We boarded the train and off we headed to Dresser, WI to find the perfect pumpkin for Halloween.

We all enjoyed the train ride (especially Owen!!) and before we knew it, we had arrived at our destination. We got off the train and headed to our first stop - the bouncy houses. Owen had fun bouncing up and down and up and down. Then he thought we should go pick out our pumpkins. The boys searched high and low and finally they both found the perfect pumpkin.

Owen was VERY excited about his HUGE pumpkin!

The only issue was what would we do with two huge pumpkins. Surely not carry them around with us! We already had our hands full between two kids, a diaper bag and the camera bag. So we stashed the pumpkins in a corner and headed over to take a ride on a handcar. Cole sat while Owen and Shane helped pump the car down the tracks.

Then we walked over to the pint sized hay maze. Owen loved climbing on the hay bales and Cole liked peeking in the tunnel.

Soon the train arrived for our ride back to the Osceola Depot. Getting back was quite the adventure with two huge pumpkins. But eventually we made it back to our car safe and sound (and a bit tuckered out!)

Before we knew it, it was the night before Halloween! So the boys got to work making masterpieces out of their pumpkins. Shane got to do the difficult job of cleaning out and carving the pumpkins while I enjoyed observing and taking photos!

Owen and Cole's pumpkins

Halloween night, my little munchkins dressed up in their scariest duds and hit the streets in search of candy. Owen was a T-Rex this year - he wore the same costume two years ago. But he would be quick to tell you that he was a "dinosaur", NOT a "T-Rex" because there were three claws on the hands of his costume and a T-Rex only has two claws. (Well, the package said T-Rex so that's what I'm going with!) In keeping with the dinosaur theme, Cole dressed up as a Triceratops. This made Owen very happen because the meat-eater dinosaur that Owen was dressed as ate Triceratops!

Owen the T-Rex

"ROAR!!!"

Cole the Triceratops

Owen went up to each door, rang the door bell, and when the door opened, he'd politely say "Trick-or-Treat" and open his bag. He's such a big boy! While Cole stood staring at the stranger in the door. He's still figuring out the concept of Trick-or-Treating! Even after a treat was put in his bag, he'd continue looking at the person until they'd put another treat in his hand (he sure knows how to work the system!!) Cole couldn't wait to get home to eat his candy so he sampled some on our way from house to house.

After getting home, Owen dumped his bag out on the floor and sorted them into two piles: the keep pile and the give away pile. And Cole just dug right into his, trying out different kinds and quickly moving onto the next piece. I think they ate most of their candy that night!