Halloween

 Jared was Super Mario for Halloween this year.  Easiest costume ever! 

• Red shirt
• Overalls (add yellow felt buttons)
• Red hat (add white circle and red letter "M")
• Felt mustache (glued to binky)

We only went to 5 houses.  Jared doesn't eat candy yet but we wanted him to enjoy a little of the Halloween experience.  Plus it made for a fun photo op :-) He seemed to enjoy seeing all the kids come to the door though.  We didn't get so many trick-or-treaters this year.  It started raining around 8pm and very few kids came after that.  We had quite a bit of left over candy.  I made Jonathan hide it from me.  Alas, willpower is not my strong suit. . .

Jack o Lantern

 One of the coolest things about being a parent is getting to experience "everything new".  All the exciting and magical traditions I enjoyed when I was young are exciting and magical again through the eyes of a child.  I loved getting out the Halloween decorations and showing them to Jared.   And I thoroughly enjoyed carving Jared's first pumpkin.  He seemed pretty interested in it and kept trying to eat the cut out pieces.  In fact, after I finished carving the face, I got up to wash my hands and turned back around to find him gnawing on it.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch this year in honor of Jared's first Halloween.  Actually, it was more of a mini carnival than an actual patch.  There were bouncy houses, and bouncy slides, a petting zoo and pony rides.  And, of course, plenty of pumpkins.  Grandma and Grandpa Clare came with us and took turns lugging that BIG little boy around.

Grandpa Clare with Jared

So many choices

The chosen pumpkin

Just outside the petting zoo -- goats feel funny!

Inside the petting zoo -- and a little unsure

At the pony rides

"Look Ma, no hands!"

"Wait, what is this thing?"

Starting to slide off  . . .