Nine Days to Halloween!

(Definitely fits with the Wacky Wednesday idea)

Halloween Activity: Costumes
A huge part of Halloween is coming up with a costume idea! Simple and easy is my favorite type - for the first few years, everyone was a clown.

But as the kids got older and had their own ideas, we expanded. (Basing the costume on sweats added to their winter pajama wardrobe.) Little boys like capes! Throwing everything that wasn't wrecked into a storage box helped when the next year came around. One year we actually did put in some more time, money and effort - but once is enough! The same year that Steven was the dinosaur
Jeff was an astronaut
and Brad was a knight. (I couldn't find the original instructions on-line, but that's bubble wrap that we spray painted silver and cut a hole for the head in. The hat is a paper bucket of some sort.)
But when you get old enough, just a hat (and maybe writing on a t-shirt) can be considered an acceptable costume! (In 2004, Brad was Homestar Runner, Jeff a cowboy, Steven Mario, and Michelle a magician.)

Halloween Treat: Witch's Brew (Trail Mix)

Combine equal amounts (about one cup) of the following:

blood drops (red hots)
owl eyes (peanuts)
vulture toenails (candy corn)
colored flies (M&Ms)
cat's claws (sunflower seeds)
dead ants (raisins)
chicken gizzards (potato sticks)
bat bones (straight pretzels)
ghost guts (mini marshmallows)
dragon eyes (starlight mints)
slithering snakes (gummy worms)

Package and serve with the following poem:

Chicken gizzards, colored flies,
Vulture toenails, big owl eyes,
Lots of dead ants, ghost guts galore,
Cat claws, bat bones, one thing more,
Drops of vampire blood, bright red.
Mix it well and eat til you're dead

I first learned of this treat at Weston's kindergarten party, where the teacher played this song while the kids took turns adding ingredients to the cauldron and stirring.