Halloween - October 2020

A very socially-distanced trick-or-treat experience! We were super-fortunate to have some friends in our "bubble" - and they just happen to be our favorite trick-or-treat buddies year after year. A and G come over each year with their parents. The dads take the three youngest out trick-or-treating, while the moms hang out at our house and give out candy with their eldest. 2020 (which was unseasonably warm) was the year we discovered the trick of putting a bucket of candy on a card table a few feet away from us, and just letting kids pick it out. It worked pretty great. A and I had very recently watched A League of Their Own, which I consider to be the best baseball movie of all time because it has Tom Hanks autograph a ball with "Avoid the clap, Jimmy Dugan" and also hits Stillwell Angel in the face with a glove. Anyway, she maybe enjoyed it for the more pure reasons (female strength), so I was so glad she chose to be Dottie Hinson. C chose to be a Knight's Templar, as his dad and grandpa are both Masons. (Also, he was up for any chance to wield an axe.). Please note that the first part of these photos were a day prior to the last few, so I'd had time to paint the Templar cross onto his shield in the interim. It wasn't perfect, but it worked.

A - age 10 - Dottie Hinson from A League of Their Own

C - age 6 - Knight Templar

After the kids' costumes complimenting each other so well the few previous years, I've looked for any chance for them to match ever since. It makes me happy while looking at photos.

C was actually also happy in the previous photo, he just likes committing to a look. A hadn't particularly wanted to layer under her costume, but it's Iowa in late October.

I can't even with how cute A was here - look at that just perfect smile, and the little hand on the hip is perfect. So cute.

Again with the commitment to stoicism.

"Batter up... Hear the call..."

This one comes up with all of his own poses and they KILL me, every single time.

Our friends brought over some actual catcher's gear for A the night of trick-or-treating, to really fit the vibe. Nailed it, especially with the peach-ish shirt under her uniform.

The cross was far from perfect, but we had to finish the look.

A knight, a fighter pilot, Dottie Hinson, and a crazy cat lady. Perfect!