Happy Halloween from the Makris Big Top!

The boys' costumes could not have been more fitting this year. Our days can often feel like a three ring circus with Henry leading the show, John getting the laughs, and Peter eating a lot and making loud noises. Nanna, our personal seamstress, made all the costumes and she outdid herself. Our ringmaster, clown, and elephant kicked off the night with a neighborhood pizza party. Before trick-or-treating started, the neighborhood handed out prizes for the costume contest. And the Makris brothers took home first place! The boys liked their medals, but it was really the candy that they were after. Henry ran from house to house with John trying to keep up. An hour or so into trick-or-treating, they returned to our back porch to sort through their loot. Henry and John even started bartering for their favorites. Poor Peter and his two teeth will have to wait until next year for a taste.

John's Special Day

Being two and a half can be tough.  John needed a special day, so with Henry at school and Nanna babysitting Peter, we did just that.  First stop - the doughnut shop!  John has never had a Krispy Kreme doughnut before.  Everyone knows you can't just eat one.  John ate two and a half and was on a sugar high for the rest of the day.  Next, we headed to the mall to ride the little train.  John chose the green car because "it's like Henry train from Thomas!" Then we stopped by the Disney store, where John made himself comfortable on the floor with a few good books.  We held hands as we left the mall and John said, "No Henry. No Pita. Just John and Mama!"

Pumpkin Parties

The boys painted pumpkins in our driveway last weekend. It was a perfect, Georgian fall day with a high of 78 degrees, so the boys could paint shirtless. Even Peter joined in the festivities.

Days after our pumpkin painting party, Henry requested that we carve an actual jack-o-latern - "Mama, our painted pumpkins don't light up like a real jack-o-latern does!" So we had pumpkin party #2, but this time it was while John and Peter napped. Knives and 3 boys under 5 do not mix. Henry enjoyed drawing the scary face on the pumpkin and helping carve the design, but he did not enjoy scooping out the gook. I should have known he would leave the messy job to me. I still put him to work though. I scooped gook and he pushed the trash cans up the hill. When we finished our jack-o-latern and set it on the back porch steps, Henry was finally satisfied with our fall decor.