Halloween Party 2012

Looks like this is going to be a yearly event.  People seem to just expect it of us.  This year we even re-introduced the fireworks element!!

Taking note of previous parties, see: http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/happy-halloween.html and http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pirate-party.html we decided to stick to the usual Halloween food - hot dogs and mushy peas with mint sauce.  Cobbs brought some chilli and more hot dogs, nana brought some pumpkin soup and there was plenty of cakes and crisps brought as well!  I didn't buy many sweets this year as I was conscious of Jamie's teeth and him not really liking them, but it seems he may be in the minority, as the morning after there were sweet wrappers (and cheese puffs) everywhere.  Lots of paper plates and cups made the washing up easier and I used Jamie's plastic pirate tablecloth to reduce the mess.

Prior to the party we had to make sure the garden was child friendly and spent last weekend sorting out the garden, the shed and the garage; putting away a lot of the summer items, cleaning all Jamie's outdoor toys and generally clearing out and away.  Daddy bought some new black wall units for the garage so that he could get most things off the floor and away.  Then he started on the transformation....

I did go in during the week and suggest it might need toning down for the 3 year olds, but he still managed to scare them.  Even Jamie refused to go in at first!  Forgot to use the bubble machine and there has been a request for a new smoke machine as it was felt this would have added to the spooky atmosphere, but no one said it didn't feel like Halloween!!

The house was tame by comparison with lots of Halloween balloons and orange and black tinsel as well as my new pumpkin lights and the 'Trick or Treat' sign we bought at Butlins a few weeks ago!  Kerry and the girls brought a carved pumpkin which we had in the garden.  I bought a fantastic 3 CD Halloween collection for the party and we had one disc playing in the dining room and one on in the garage.

I did (once again) buy a multi pack of toilet rolls to play the 'mummy' game but the children seemed to organise themselves quite happily on Jamie's park and in Jamie's room.  For those that braved daddy's garage there was some dancing and glow sticks!  I had printed off some Halloween pictures for them to colour in if bored, but these did not get used until Sunday morning.

We had 23 people attend altogether; 13 adults and 10 children.  Glad to say most of them came in fancy dress!!  Again, it took ages for some of the adults to get ready; what with all their make up.  Poor old Jamie got told off after I found he had scribbled felt pen over his face.  But he was only copying daddy, uncle Dean and auntie Chrissie.

We weren't going to have fireworks but after someone suggested it we did buy a few, as well as some sparklers - which everyone loved!!   Jack started a fire; which was well needed with some of daddy's rubbish from the garden, but it still wasn't enough to keep us all warm once the sun had gone down.  Seeing as there had been snow on the garden first thing however, it could have been a lot colder!  But the weather was rather cold and not many made it to the end of the fireworks.  The little ones were inside watching Peppa Pig soon after the sparklers. 

Thank god we turned the clocks back the next day.  Lucy and Jamie were still up early but at least we had an extra hour to clean up!  And then we all relaxed watching Carry On Screaming.

Daddy has already started planning next years party....