Happy Happy Halloween!!! (blast from the past)

Well, let me be the first to tell you:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I will say this holiday sure is different having a 15 month old little man - and it sure is fun!  We have some big plans for today/tonight.  Complete with mom attending a school Halloween party, a neighborhood costume parade, hitting up just a few of the neighbors houses (just to meet them - good excuse being new to the neighborhood!) and handing out candy - all with my sweet little Charlie Brown.

While I haven't had the time to get into the decorating (too much) for the season - we do have some decor and pumpkins of the porch, so that counts, I do count this as a "card" holiday.  Even though I work for Hallmark, I think you should too!  If not now, but next year.  It sure is a fun way to send love to some family and friends and show off your kid(s) cute costume(s).

And we have had a Halloween card now for the last 4 years.  Yep - even though this is only Charlie's second Halloween...my friends, I sent out cards with just my dogs.  I'm that lady.  At least you know I loved something else a lot before my sweet boy.  

So the 2013 cards and coordinating costumes?

Charlie Brown and his gang 

(Snoopy - kind of, Schroeder and Lucy Van Pelt)

However, the picture this year was darn near impossible with so many little beings in it that wanted to move everywhere.  So after a few attempts - mom and dad had to jump in to corral the bunch.

Luckily Jimmy and I had showered, right?  I was happy!

It's not the best picture, but it sure is the darn truth at what our family looks like these days!  And I love it.  I know that my grandma loved getting it too!  (see, people like cards!)  I do limit this list to about 30 people so it's not super expensive to send out - and I think it's totally worth it!

I was disappointed when looking back at 2012 to pull a link to my blog post with that card, but now I realized I literally had gone back to work after maternity leave about 4 days before Halloween - hence why there was no official blog post.  So here you go: the Carter family Halloween card recap over the years:

2012: Charlie was 3 months old and our house really was a ZOO!!!!

2011 - Toby's costume was my favorite.  And I was learning how to use Hallmark's print on demand - hence the weird card.  But still cute.

 

2010 (dog post, people post): We had been married for 6 months.  Essentially I went to Target and bought these costumes for the dogs and they hated every minute of it.  And I just printed these off as pictures and sent them.  I really like the quality of the postcards better!

2009: I purchased this amazing costume for Willy.  No one else "got" to dress up.  This is still my favorite. 

2008: this blog didn't exist and I had just had my dogs for about a month and a half, so I wasn't quite yet crazy dog lady.  Just took a few more months for that!!

The best part of the 2013 pictures?  The outtakes of course.

My parents were over because we were on our way to Charlie's school trick or treat that night, so since he had his costume on, I figured it was the perfect time.  Well thank goodness they were there.  Because I'm not sure if we would have ever gotten ANY decent shot with the dogs.

Milly's costume/dress I got at a consignment sale and is a baby girl 0-3 month; Jimmy found it in Charlie's laundry and thought I had something to tell him.  Willy's is an 18 month shirt that you will likely see Charlie sporting this winter.  Yes, my toddler and wiener dog are the same size.  Toby/Snoopy.  Well that was a disaster.  I thought in my head I would just throw a white undershirt on him and then get a white beanie hat for cheap - cut holes in it and then put Jimmy's black dress socks in the holes as ears.  Welp - that didn't work because apparently I forgot to realize that Toby's head is not quite shaped like a human's.  So after I went to 2 Wal-Mart's looking for a hat and then sent my parents looking - it didn't even work.  #fail  And he looks nothing like Snoopy but oh well - at least I didn't waste $50 on a Snoopy head.  I really wanted to though!

 

My parents were trying to get everyone nice and in place...

Charlie is just holding his pumpkin as good as can be...

Then he starts to escape and my dad stops him...

Then it was time for mom and dad to jump in and wrangle everyone {attempt to}

Nope - very little compromise.  These kids.

This was the one we used.  Notice Jimmy's tight grip!!

And he's over the whole thing. 

 

See?  I told you

And off to explore...

And hang with Nana.

And swing the beach ball that is in our yard from his first bday party!

But then Charlie Brown decided to give Shroeder some loving...

As usual, not reciprocated.

So we just sprint...

And finally give mom a smile.

Happy Halloween everyone!!  Here's to a great rest of 2013!!