Although it is clear Halloween isn't nearly as big of deal here in London, there were still plenty of activities for us to do and get in a spooky mood! On Tuesday we went to a local kitchen store to decorate cookies. The girls had a great time with our friends Shelly and Sarah slathering frosting all over yummy spider and bat cookies.
The week leading up to Halloween was also Half Term, which means there was a week off from school because Autumn Term was half over. There were a lot of kids everywhere, but also many things for us to do. The local branch of the public library even had a craft (glueing glitter to a styrofoam ball to make spiders, no less) so we were busier than a normal week.
They were so proud of their sweet creations! But loved eating them more. When we first moved to the UK, neither of them liked gingerbread, now both chow it down.
Sophie dressed up as our cat, Charlie. I couldn't talk her into putting on her paws or giving up a magic wand... so not an exact replica.
There they are, my two little goblins. We dressed up twice Halloween week - once for a friend's party on Wednesday and then, of course, for Halloween.
I can't tell you how much I love Abby. I wish she always acted the way she looks in this picture. She doesn't. Sometimes I think she is too smart for her own good but I guess a little spice in a girl is a good thing. Her little friend Ines who was in Teddies daycare and then in her afternoon nursery at Southfield Primary left to go to morning nursery. I asked Abby who she played with now that Ines is gone - she said a boy named Aaron. I asked her if he was nice to her and she said "yes, he does whatever I tell him to do". Oops, maybe I have created a monster! I then asked if she was nice to him. She said yes.
Halloween night we decorated cookies and ate a few too many right before bed. It was a late night, but a special treat. It was an all day project, as I was rolling out the gingerbread that I made the day before all afternoon while we were doing Halloween Skype calls with Tim's family.
Here is Miss Abby's gorgeous creation. Before the artwork was completed, it was a gingerbread jack-o-lantern with cut-out eyes, nose and mouth. Those holes quickly were filled up with sugar and butter and food coloring.
I think Sophie was literally crying over spilled milk in this picture. After a long day we almost didn't go trick or treating. We decided to go on the way to pick up Thai take-out. It sounds horrible, but there were only a few houses on our street that were open for business anyway. Halloween night wasn't the same as in MN!
Although it is clear Halloween isn't nearly as big of deal here in London, there were still plenty of activities for us to do and get in a spooky mood! On Tuesday we went to a local kitchen store to decorate cookies. The girls had a great time with our friends Shelly and Sarah slathering frosting all over yummy spider and bat cookies.
The week leading up to Halloween was also Half Term, which means there was a week off from school because Autumn Term was half over. There were a lot of kids everywhere, but also many things for us to do. The local branch of the public library even had a craft (glueing glitter to a styrofoam ball to make spiders, no less) so we were busier than a normal week.
They were so proud of their sweet creations! But loved eating them more. When we first moved to the UK, neither of them liked gingerbread, now both chow it down.
Sophie dressed up as our cat, Charlie. I couldn't talk her into putting on her paws or giving up a magic wand... so not an exact replica.
There they are, my two little goblins. We dressed up twice Halloween week - once for a friend's party on Wednesday and then, of course, for Halloween.
I can't tell you how much I love Abby. I wish she always acted the way she looks in this picture. She doesn't. Sometimes I think she is too smart for her own good but I guess a little spice in a girl is a good thing. Her little friend Ines who was in Teddies daycare and then in her afternoon nursery at Southfield Primary left to go to morning nursery. I asked Abby who she played with now that Ines is gone - she said a boy named Aaron. I asked her if he was nice to her and she said "yes, he does whatever I tell him to do". Oops, maybe I have created a monster! I then asked if she was nice to him. She said yes.
Halloween night we decorated cookies and ate a few too many right before bed. It was a late night, but a special treat. It was an all day project, as I was rolling out the gingerbread that I made the day before all afternoon while we were doing Halloween Skype calls with Tim's family.
Here is Miss Abby's gorgeous creation. Before the artwork was completed, it was a gingerbread jack-o-lantern with cut-out eyes, nose and mouth. Those holes quickly were filled up with sugar and butter and food coloring.
I think Sophie was literally crying over spilled milk in this picture. After a long day we almost didn't go trick or treating. We decided to go on the way to pick up Thai take-out. It sounds horrible, but there were only a few houses on our street that were open for business anyway. Halloween night wasn't the same as in MN!
One of my favorite things to do with Abby is to bake. Banana bread is our specialty, though we can make cookies and cakes too. She didn't have an apron, so I gave her a cool one, just from me. Tim and my other present to her was a scooter. She had been begging for one since we arrived here and most kids have them. It definitely makes our daily long walks to school go a little faster and she is really pretty good at riding it too!