feeding the duckies

Trick or Treat 2011!

Boo!

This year’s Halloween was extra special for two reasons. First, there were two days of “trick-or-treating.” Second, the kids got to spend it with very good friends.

The Costumes

While hunting around for age-appropriate versions of “Spider-Man” for my Spider-Man-obsessed kids, we discovered a real gem from my own childhood — Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Upon the first viewing the older three assumed the roles of Spider-Man (Sean), Iceman (Nathan), and Firestar (Annalise), and began having adventures fighting numerous bad guys (usually Mommy or Daddy).

When it came time to pick their costumes for this year, the decision was unanimous. Good thing Mommy is very creative, and has some talented helpers available (Kathy and Lisa). The Spider-Man costume was in the bag — Sean has 4 already. So for Iceman and Firestar, Suzy purchased some sweat suits and had Kathy dye and draw “muscles” for Iceman, while Lisa helped with the Firestar flames.

And here’s the trio, with Emma completing the cast as the trio’s dog, Ms. Lion:

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends -- with Ms. Lion

Trick or Treat in Downtown Naperville

The first of the two-day festivities consisted of trick-or-treat in downtown Naperville. Dean and Suzanne, parents of Sean’s preschool classmate Laila, and far and away our kid’s favorite playtime friends (Laila, Luke, and Ben) organized a group of preschool families and friends to meet for the annual event. It was quite the group and the crowds downtown were incredible.

The crew in downtown Naperville

Luke and Sean

Annalise and Laila

The Main Event

The next night, Laila and family joined us for Trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. The kids had a blast, racing from house-to-house, a marked difference from the previous year of getting in and out of the wagon as we pulled them between driveways.

…and what Halloween night would be complete without a giant chicken?

The Halloween House

A house in our neighborhood goes “all out” decorating for every holiday (even Easter). This is the first year we’ve actually visited the house on Halloween. A lot of work, but way cool….