Fun Reigns Supreme on Halloween

There have been so many Halloween activities I wanted to blog about this week but I had an unexpected case of the croup hit the house and it has put a halt to sleep, blogging and some planned Halloween parties and activities. Poor Eli, he got sick last Tuesday and even as of last night was still not feeling completely up to par. Although he missed his class party and carnival on Friday, a costume party yesterday morning, and had to go the doctor twice this week, he was feeling well enough last night to attend the Folly Beach Halloween Carnival. Thank goodness, because missing the carnival at his school really did bring me to tears, even if he was okay just sitting home watching Scooby Doo's all day and happy that Chapel brought home some treats. 

The Folly Beach Halloween Carnival is a tradition. The City of Folly Beach really does not encourage Trick-or-Treating so they host a HUGE carnival in the park. There are so many little booths and fun things for the kids. And there is a costume contest and can you believe that Conor and Jude won in the 0-3 year division for BEST COSTUME(S)??? They were garden gnomes. Here I am with Uncle Robert showing off their awesome costumes.

And here they are in the stroller, looking so cute!

Chapel was, of course, Cleopatra. And she looked so pretty. Her cousin Bren came with MaMa Anne and PaPa Ed and she, too, was Cleopatra. So that was very exciting for both of them. 

And then by big man Eli was such a trooper, even though he had a rough week. He was an astronaut and looked incredibly authentic. Here he is before we left home complete with his spaceship. 

And here he is looking worn out from all the fun.

And so, despite a little bout with the croup, Halloween night was a success. 

One other activity involved our Folly Beach Exchange Club (Brett is President and Robert Secretary) which hosted a booth and gave away popcorn, American Flags, and candy.  

Today, as Chapel and Eli and I unpacked their pumpkins, Chapel asked me about trick-or-treating. And it struck me that they have never had that true "trick-or-treating" experience. So I told them of how I used to dress up in a homemade outfit with help from GiGi and  then how PaPa Dan Dan would load me and Aunt MiMi up in the car and drive us around from house to house trick-or-treating. And it made me a little sad that their experience of Halloween is so different form mine when I was little,  but I also know that it is very exciting for them and that they have the time of their lives dressing up and running around the carnival. Halloween is Halloween. And dressing up and getting candy is fun - any way you cut it.