Caitie: Free Halloween

Have you ever celebrated a holiday on a budget? That's what we tried to do this Halloween. I had to let go of a tradition this time around... we didn't go to the pumpkin patch for my annual halloween/pumpkin patch pic of the girls, I had to settle for getting a free pic at a sporting goods store on the east side of town. Let's not get into the money spent on gas for that trip, we try and not think about that part. Let's also not get into dressing the girls up in their costumes three times (there's a lot of work involved... ironing caitie's dress each time, getting pascal pinned on, getting bailey in her tights while she's squirming around, etc... i get tired just thinkin' about it), once to take them to the free trick-or-treating event at the nearby Fry's market that didn't take place, at least, it wasn't goin' on when we got there; and yes, we were on time for it, even though we did go at the latter part of the time listed for the event. I also dressed them up for a free event at the Bass Pro Shop located in Mesa. This one we made it in time for, and really enjoyed. Then there was trick-or-treating around our neighborhood tonight, which was nice. We did do the traditional jack-o'-lantern carving this year, so we did pay for a pumpkin, and the girls' costumes too, of course, but for the most part, it was a nice, 'free' halloween this time around.

Here are some pics I took over the last few days... (i took the pic above before taking Caitie to school this morning)...

I took this pic before heading to Fry's market last Thursday evening for the event that didn't take place. We ended up going to Dairy Queen, so there was the cost of three Pumpkin Pie Blizzards. I forgot to mention that above. This pic shows Caitie's pretty shoes...

I took this pic before heading to the Bass Pro Shop in Mesa on Friday evening (this is a really cool store, by the way). This pic shows Caitie without her pretty shoes. Rapunzel went barefoot in the movie Tangled, so this pic is more authentic than the one above. um, yeah. Anyway, now you know Caitie was Rapunzel for Halloween, and Bailey was a bumble bee. I'm sure that was easy to figure out, but thought I'd mention it anyway. Oh, and the green thing on Caitie's shoulder is Pascal, Rapunzel's cute companion, a chameleon. I found it on Etsy.

Here's the free pic taken at the Bass Pro Shop. The lighting wasn't all that great, but I can't complain since it was free. (i took a picture of the pic; the flash was their doin', not mine. you know how i detest flash.) There was trick-or-treating throughout the store, so there was free candy to be had as well.

Caitie made a friend in the kids area.

Bailey made a little friend too. This was the cowboy/astronaut's (above) little brother.

There was a cowboy/astronaut, his little sidekick, which was a little astronaut, then there was Rapunzel/cowgirl, and the cutest bumble bee around, all enjoying a night on the town, at the Bass Pro Shop. Hey, it's late, okay? This is the best I can do at this late hour.

School is now in session... so says the cute little bumble bee. (this old-timey desk was in the kids area)

Here is one tradition we kept, the pumpkin carving. We got the pumpkin at Fry's Marketplace, not to be mixed up with the Fry's market that didn't have the trick-or-treating event that they had... or somethin' like that. As I mentioned above... it's late.

Michael forgot the pupils! Poor pumpkin. But he turned out to be a cute jack-o'-lantern anyway.

Ta-da! Meet Jack the 3rd, 4th, 5th... somethin' like that. Bailey is showin' him off.

Here is Bailey wearin' ol' Jack the somethin' or other. (doesn't it look like she's wearin' him? ... again... it is late.)

Bailey couldn't contain her excitement and decided to give her daddy and big sister a standing ovation on the great accomplishment of carving such a grand jack-o'-lantern.

I wanted to take a pic that resembled one I took of Caitie around the same age sitting on the table with a jack-o'-lantern. See the pic below this one to compare. There is one difference, the light was on in the one I took of Caitie, the light was off in the one I took of Bailey. Bailey is a little over 14 months old in this pic.

Caitie in October 2006; she was a little over 13 months old.

I took these pics tonight. We took the girls trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

Here they are with all their 'loot'. Bailey couldn't wait to dig into hers. She just played with it, we're not letting her eat candy yet, this means more for Caitie; she seems to be pretty happy about that.

Now Caitie is diggin' in to hers (she counted her candy... up to 100 pieces, and that's not including what was in bailey's bucket)... and Bailey is still at it.