Adventures in Parenthood: Clara's First Halloween

We take Halloween seriously in the Parkinson household! Kevin and I love dressing up so Halloween is just an excuse to don a costume. This year Halloween was a week long celebration complete with numerous festivities!

We began last Friday with Zoo Boo which was Clara's first trip to the zoo. The local zoo in Fresno is pretty good and Kevin and I have had a membership for the past three years (we don't go that often but like to support the zoo). Each year they have a Halloween event but we had never attended. This year we headed out and met Tia Alyssa and Tio Rene and Tristan and Teagan. All the kids dressed up and had a great time. The zoo was decorated for Halloween and there were different businesses set up handing out candy. Tristan loved running around getting candy and Clara loved it too. She actually reached out and grabbed most candies and then proceeded to chew on the wrappers. Clarita loved all of the people and lights and smiled and squealed away. After the zoo we went to dinner and Clara and Teagan practiced grabbing each other and holding hands.

Kevin, Ovejita, and Smurf Tristan

Piglet!

Alyssa may have knocked Frankenstein over...

Saturday was our group of friends' annual Halloween party. There is a theme each year and this year was a "homeless Halloween". Kevin and I struggled with this theme as it felt like we were making fun of homeless people, but in the end decided to be good sports and dress up. I was a homeless hooker, Kevin was a homeless person, (aka he wore his work around the yard clothes) and Clarita was our pet monkey. We had a good time, Clara especially loved all of the people and lights. Since I wasn't too into the theme I didn't take a lot of pictures but I managed to get a few of Clarita la monita (and homeless pregnant Sarah and Reedcito!).

Will work for cookies!

What a nice family picture...

Saddest homeless people of the night

On Sunday we headed to Hillcrest Farms, a local pumpkin patch. They also have a steam train so we met up with los Ramirez and had a fun filled cousin afternoon. Clara loved the train, I think she really liked the wind in her face. She also loved the hay bales and pumpkins. She ate quite a few handfuls of hay while we were taking pictures of the kids and tried to crawl after the pumpkins. (And she actually ATE the hay because I found some in her poop the next day...it does not digest in case you were wondering!) She squealed with delight the entire time and even managed to scare a little girl by squealing right at her! We had a great time!

Los Ramirez on the train

She loved the wind on the train!

Cousins!

Trying to grab the smallest pumpkin

Ready to eat some straw

On Thursday, actual Halloween, Clarita was very busy. She began the festivities at Trunk or Treat with La Abuelita at church. People decorate the trunks of their cars and hand out candy, stickers, etc to the kids walking home from school. Since my mom is retired now she was excited that she would be able to participate in this event which takes place right after school gets out. Clarita wore her sheep costume (since my favorite church song as a little girl [and to this day] was "I Just Want to be a Sheep"), and my mom was a shepherd. My mom said that Clara had a lot of fun watching all of the kids and that she stayed awake and happy the entire time!

Ready for Halloween

Passing out candy

Trunk or Treat!

Kevin's cousin, Charlyse, had a Halloween party later in the evening. Kevin dressed up as a kangaroo and I was a monkey (both made by my sister). Tristan really wanted to see Clara's monkey costume so she was a monkaroo! I figured that is the end product when a kangaroo and a monkey have a baby! Clara wore her monkey costume and I made her a little pouch! She went trick or treating to a couple of houses and then hung out and watched Baby Eden and played with her glow stick. Clarita was really into the glow stick and screamed when I took it away from her. Before we left, Scott, Charlyse's husband, gave Clara a million glow sticks and she was the happiest baby around! On our way home, we stopped at Ashley and Yayo's house for one last trick or treat. Clara fell asleep on the less than five minute drive and slept the entire time we were there. I guess Halloween was just too much for her!