Halloween 2013.

On Halloween day, the girls wore these cute orange/black/white combos (because I’m festive like that), and then I forced them to take pictures together.  Harriet was the wiggliest she’s ever been for pictures (as you will notice) and Elna was only taking them because I promised her chocolate chips.

Do we see ballet in her future?

On Halloween night we had Elna’s little friends over (and their parents) for soup/bread/dessert and then trick-or-treating.  I was surprised how well they all did for pictures!

All of the kids before heading out to get some loot—Mercedez and Sawyer were Tinkerbell and Peter Pan—such cute twins costumes.

I then took a few of just Elna and her doll—Elna was pretty much being the most darling girl you’ve ever seen.  Just minutes before our guests came over I remembered that my mom had made my doll a bumblebee costume years ago when I also had worn a bumblebee costume, so I rummaged in the attic for the costume and was lucky enough to find it quickly.  This doll also happened to be mine from when I was a little girl. 

Stacy came by to see us and to take a picture with Hattie—they were both ladybugs!

And then we went trick-or-treating!  I have never enjoyed trick-or-treating (or Halloween for that matter) more than this year.  Elna just made it magical!  She was the cutest, sweetest, most polite little trick-or-treater you have ever seen.  At each house we came to, before going up to the house, Elna would say “I like this one!”  We would occasionally have to explain that they weren’t home (when lights inside weren’t on etc.) and she would insist (surprisingly very politely) that she still liked the house and thought we should go.  We could usually dissuade her, but it was still pretty cute.  Even though she was usually at the head of the pack, she always waited for the other kids to get candy before she asked for some.  My favorite part?  After getting her candy she would say thank you and then very clearly say “happy Halloween.”  At every single door she said this.  I didn’t even know she could say it really, so it kind of cracked me up at first.  She would sometimes say it several times if the person didn’t hear her at first.  It melted my heart and made me very proud to be her mama.

We ended the night by trick-or-treating at Brian’s parents house, where somehow I only got pictures of Harriet. 

And just for fun, some side-by-sides of both girls wearing the ladybug costume:

Elna (left)—2011  //  Harriet (right)—2013

Elna (left) // Harriet (right)