Looking back over our family’s Halloween pictures has been fun, nostalgic and even a bit scary.

2006

MM was about 6 months old his first Halloween. Of course we got him a costume and walked him around to the neighbors but there was very little trick or treating involved as none of us needed any extra candy. I somehow managed to convince Dan to ever so briefly wear a flannel shirt and cowboy hat so we could be pumpkin farmers together. It was cute.

I’m shuddering at the horrific over weight pictures of Dan and I over the years. He has lost so much weight since we first met it is just inspirational and awesome and I barely remember what he looked like back then sometimes.

That was really the last year that I successfully managed to get him to dress up. I’ve come close a few times, but I think I’ve officially given up after this year and accept that he is The Guy Who Doesn’t Dress Up and in a way I love that about him, you know?

2007

For Halloween 2007 MM dressed up as a lion. I think I briefly work cat ears and a black old navy top with a silver “black cat” on it. I ditched it halfway through the party if memory serves. It’s always my intention to dress up, but then I inevitably seem to abandon the costume at the last minute.

MM really still didn’t get Halloween this year. I think we took him to see family but really didn’t do much at all aside from this little children’s Halloween party with friends, which was really the highlight of the holiday in his opinion anyway.

2008

In 2008 MM was starting to get into the spirit a bit and Dan’s crafty gene had finally revealed itself. He made MM a “Man in the Yellow Hat” costume and we used his old Monkey backpack leash as a “George” – everyone loved it. I very very briefly dressed up as Professor Wiseman but my costume made me look so horrendously heavyset (a white lab coat that was too big for my too big frame, not a good combo) that I abandoned it practically the second I put it on (plus I think I was pregnant and hormonal at the time).

It didn’t matter. MM’s costume was absolute perfection and we had a blast at the 2nd annual children’s Halloween party with the same group of friends.

2009

2009 was both our first Halloween after moving to Wisconsin and little BB’s first Halloween ever. We opted to dress her up in the now traditional Pumpkin for First Halloween costume, having found her a fantastic glittery tutu ensemble. Of course she mostly slept through all of the festivities of Halloween, being only three months old.

For MM’s costume, I took advantage of my Review Blogging connections and managed to get him the world’s coolest Firefighter costume from Aeromax Toys (see my review here). Such a high quality costume, rich with details. We took the kids trick or treating at the zoo the weekend before Halloween and to the mall the night of, still not really knowing the area very well and not wanting to take our three month old out in the most frigid cold that night. MM loved the zoo for trick or treating, although we ended up doing a lot more animal looking and not very much candy getting that year (fine by us! at three years old, he was still really too young for the candy in my opinion).

2010

This year we finally made some good friends in the area and decided to do our first real, full blown traditional trick or treating. MM knew months in advance that he wanted to dress up as Mickey Mouse and we decided BB would be his perfect Minnie. We found almost everything we needed at thrift stores, stopping at a craft store for big white buttons and Target to get BB’s dress.

We almost dressed up as pirates. We bought everything we needed. It almost happened. The costumes were great. But we bailed at the last minute. Luckily, almost everything we bought (for adults and kids) was also real clothing. I’m wearing part of my “costume” right now in fact. So it wasn’t a total loss – and if we throw our own party in the future and want to dress up, or if I ever work up the courage, I’ve already got a great costume now.

Little BB looked adorable in her costume, but spent most of the night bundled in daddy’s arms or her stroller and mostly chose to play with her Minnie ears rather than wear them. I don’t think we really took advantage of the costume, especially in pictures, but we had such a great time trick or treating with friends and then spending some time at their house afterwards sipping cider and talking, that I really don’t mind. I think both kids had a blast and that’s all that matters – besides, it probably won’t be until the Halloween of 2011 or 2012 that BB will really get Halloween anyway. But MM is officially hooked on this whole trick or treating business and we can’t wait to take him again next year (hopefully in a warmer costume! it was COLD!) hopefully in the neighborhood of our new house!

How was your Halloween? What did your kids wear? Do you have any pics up at your blog yet? Do you dress up for Halloween? Tell me about your favorite Halloween costume or the best costume your kids have worn in the comments section below!