Halloween 2012: trick-or-treating

When I found out that Koreans don't celebrate Halloween like we do in the U.S., I was quite disappointed that my kids weren't going to get to have a good old fashioned Halloween experience.  The disappointment didn't last long, though, before I put my big girl panties on and decided I was going to do something about it.  I was going to make this happen, one way or another.  My boys were not going to miss out on this fun holiday just because Halloween costumes, decorations, etc. aren't plentiful here.  I found a way to make it happen...and it was faBOOlous!

I ordered their costumes online, had them shipped to my mom's house, and then had her ship them to me.  Thanks a million again, Mom!

I made decorations for our house and did Halloween crafts with the boys in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

I told Talton that I'd love to be able to bring the boys up to his office to trick-or-treat....and he got on board!  Thanks again, babe!

A couple of his coworkers who live in our building agreed to let the boys trick-or-treat at their condos, so I delivered a bag of candy to one earlier in the day and the other actually said he had candy he'd like to provide for the kids.  Thanks to those guys!

My friend, Cassie, was in the same boat with her kids and trick-or-treating, so she actually lined up some of her husband's coworkers who live in our building, provided them with candy, and took us along for some candy collecting fun so the boys would have even more condos to trick-or-treat at.  Thank you, Cassie!


The boys were lucky enough to get to trick-or-treat twice this Halloween.  The first was at Talton's office...

Spider Man & Woody ARE READY TO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT DADDY'S WORK!

I'm sure the people driving by were thinking "What in the world?!" as they saw Spider Man and Woody.  :)

The women couldn't grab their phones fast enough to take pictures.

When Talton gave the women candy earlier in the day to give to the boys when we got there, he told them, "They'll say trick-or-treat and you'll give them this candy."  This lady in front of Connar was waiting on him to say "trick-or-treat" before she'd give him candy.  :)

This photo is just priceless.  I love the women's reactions to my adorable Spider Man and Woody.

He was shaking his bag to see how heavy it was with all the candy.  :)

I. LOVE. THIS. PICTURE!!!!!!!

He looks like he's thinking, "Yep.  This sheriff just took care of business" as he struts back to me.  The women in the background look like super fans as if he's a celebrity in their midst with their hands clutched to their hearts and hands over their mouths.  Love it!

The ladies were desperate to get a picture with Parker, but he just wasn't having it.  I had to bribe him to sit in that chair with the candy, but even then, he refused to smile.  Ha!  He was over the attention.

Check Connar out in the background.  He's looking at all the candy he'd raked in so far, completely oblivious to the crowd of women in front of him.

Check out all the ladies' shoes!  They're all wearing house slippers!  Talton told me that they all switch from their outside regular shoes to house slippers once they get to the desks every day, so I couldn't wait to see that for myself!  I love cultural differences like that.

Woody was tired and needed a break.  Apparently the floor in Talton's office seemed like the perfect spot for that.

C telling the ladies thank you before leaving

Spider Man lost a shoe on our walk to the car. 

I love this picture of Talton helping Connar put his shoe back on, next to this Korean restaurant with its menu outside written in Korean.  It just reminds me that our boys just trick-or-treated in Korea!

Happy boys, in the car, headed home to have a pizza dinner with friends before trick-or-treating more in our building!

After our pizza dinner with friends, we set out to trick-or-treat at around seven condos of our husband's coworkers.  The kids had a blast going up and down elevators and ringing bell after bell. 

He was more concerned about holding these balls than his candy bag.

This was our first "house".  Parker dropped his hat and ran inside, which meant that I was running into a stranger's house after him.  He didn't quite get the idea yet.

This sweet lady ran to get her camera to take a picture of the kids and was showing it to them.  :)

Liam was the prisoner to Greenlee's police woman.  His costume even had tattoos on the arms!

And this is how we looked every few minutes after trick-or-treating on one floor and heading to another on the elevator.

P is not letting those balls go...even for candy.  :)
Spider Man brought his flashlight to help protect everyone.  :)

 This was too funny.  Parker was completely oblivious to the man under the white sheet (it was a coworker of Cassie's husband), even though he moved his arms underneath it.  Parker just walked around and around him!

 

 

 

Greenlee tried to grab the bucket as fast as she could before he grabbed her arm!

Connar stood back from the man under the white sheet until he took it off his head.  Even then, he kept saying, "He's scary man."

This man dressed up for the kids.

We even had to go outside to switch between the four buildings that make up our condo to get to all the people we were trick-or-treating with.

She had her door decorated in celebration of Halloween.  :)

My little Woody was so sleepy and done at this point.  I didn't blame him and enjoyed his snuggles.

That's us!  :)

Cassie brought these witch's hats back from Everland when she visited that amusement park in Seoul a month ago.

The Rawls family

Halloween 2012 was SPOOKtacular!  Even though it was different, it was ours.  We'll have these memories of a Korean Halloween forever.
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P.S. - Here is our Halloween card we sent out this year.  :)  It's not great quality because it's a scanned version I had my mom email to me since I didn't get my own copy...but the scanning doesn't diminish their cuteness!