Halloween through the years

I decided to scan Ashley's first few Halloweens into the computer so the collection could be complete.

2002

 Ashley's first Halloween she was 5 1/2 months old. The half is important when you are so small. At that stage she didn't get a vote. Since I always called her my princess, I dressed her up as a princess that year.

2003

 At one year's old, Ashley was still my princess. I dressed her as Belle, my favorite Disney princess. I love Belle because she reads a lot, and because she doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense from the men in her life. She is strong and independent. More interested in adventure than in dating. This was the first year I took her to the pumpkin patch at Little Acres.

 This was also the first year we took her to the Fire House Halloween Parade on Gordon Avenue. She won for the Kookiest costume in her age category. I think it was her white beaded "pock" (pocketbook) that put her over the edge in voting. Personally, I thought she was a shoe-in for Cutest costume. 

2004

By two, Ashley had more definite opinions. We celebrated Halloween at Disney World, where after much effort I was able to take a picture of Ashley dressed as Pooh with Pooh. Our Disney costume highlight pictures would make another good blog thread. The tradition of taking a Halloween pumpkin patch picture continued.

This was Ashley's first year trick or treating with a friend. Prior to this year, I just took her to a few friends' homes long before regular trick or treating began. 

We went to a few hours in our neighborhood with Sophie and her dog, Gigi. The girls are still good friends years later.

2005

Three-year old Cinderella searching the pumpkin patch for just the right pumpkin to turn into a coach for the ball.









Trick or treating with her best friend, Sophie. We only hit a few houses that year.

2006

 















Four-year old Pocahontas / Tiger Lilly (from Peter Pan). With her hair down, Ashley is Pocahontas. With her hair in braids, she is really Tiger Lilly. Same costume. Yes, it can be a bit confusing at times.

We went trick or treating in Allentown with my parents that year.

2007

Five-year old fairy (Ranie --before Disney decided to do away with the fairies by Gail Carson Levine and create their own knock-offs) flying through the pumpkin patch at Little Acres.

This was the first year Ashley had a last minute idea -- she wanted to dress up as Mary Poppins. I was stumped, but Ashley wasn't. She went to her dress up collection and pulled together a few pieces -- including the dress she wore in Aunt Becca and Uncle Bill's wedding, a leotard, a hat, some netting and she was set to go for the firehouse Halloween parade, always held on Mischief Night. 

She was not yet done, though, she wanted Don and I to dress up as Mary Poppins and Burt, while she dressed up as Jane Banks, while we trick or treated through Allentown. 

2008

Six-year old Ashley dressed up as Iridessa, one of Disney's official fairies. 


This was also one of two years we were homeschooling Ashley. We decided to go to Disneyland. Halloween lasts for about 6 weeks at Disneyland. However on October 31st, the Mad Hatter ("Sweet") took Ashley trick or treating through Fantasyland. Yes, it was a slow day in the parks as it was mid-week that year. This is one of my favorite memories of Disneyland.

2009

Seven-year old Ashley wanted to be a 50s girl, and I found a costume on eBay. Probably the simplest Halloween costume ever.













This was the first year she trick or treated with Emily on the other side of our neighborhood. They had a lot of fun canvassing the neighborhood together.

2010

Eight-year old Ashley was being very indecisive about what she wanted to be for Halloween, yet I wanted to take the annual pumpkin patch picture. She decided to dress as a Chinese girl, and have her doll dress in a similar attire. (The dress was a hand-me-down from Krissy, and part of her dress up collection.)

The day before the parade at school, she decided she wanted to be the Pillsbury Doughboy, a character Don and I have both been over the years (I went as the Pillsbury Doughboy when I had a "bun in the oven.")

Once again I asked Ashley, how do you see this happening? She went into her dress-up collection and her dresser, added the chef's hat Don wore with his costume over 20 years ago, and came up with a Pillsbury Doughboy costume. The kids in the older grades all got the inside joke and thought it was great!

She wasn't done yet. She decided for the firehouse parade, Don should be the doughboy and I should be Poppie Fresh, the female counterpart to the the Pillsbury Doughboy (otherwise known as Poppin' Fresh) and Ashley wanted to go as their child (Poppette Fresh?). Don had a costume. Ashley had a blue baby doll dress in her dress-up collection. I went to Red, White and Blue to find the right dress for my costume and added some white sweat pants and a mob cap. We took first prize for group costume at the firehouse. (Pictured at the Purple Cow.)

Trick or treating with Emily and Sofia.

2011

 Another year without purchasing a costume because nine-year old Ashley decides to dive into her dress up collection to become a hippie. In fact, she and her friend, Emily, both decide to dress as hippies that year. They did Trunk or Treat together at school, and trick or treated around Emily's neighborhood with Sofia and their siblings.

For us, though, Halloween 2011 will be marked by the first time Don or I remember it snowing in New Jersey before Halloween. Fortunately, it was the only time it snowed that "winter."

2012

Ten-year old Ashley decided to be a witch and put together her own costume. She also mastered the art of "flying" for the camera.

For the first time since Ashley was 3 she trick or treated in our neighborhood. It was fun being able to ring our own doorbell, and to see our neighbors. She loved trick or treating with Emily the past few years, and going to Allentown with my parents, but there is nothing like going door to door and seeing your neighbors, and having them see you in your costume. 

A bigger story about 2012 Halloween. We'll see what 2013 brings. I'm just hoping for no natural disasters!

2013

A beautiful night for trick or treating -- mid-60s. No snow storms or natural disasters. Perfect! Trick or treating with Emily -- hit both our side of the neighborhood and hers.






















2014

Ashley made her own Steampunk costume using hand-me-downs, thrift store finds, and crafts to create the costume. The goggles were purchased at a Steampunk festival.












2015

This year Ashley is going as Galinda from "Wicked." We lucked into finding a pink prom dress at Red, White, and Blue. This was the first year she went out without me. I'll admit I was a little sad. They went with a Broadway-theme and all looked awesome.

2016

Another year another Broadway musical. This year Ashley went at Alexander Hamilton from "Hamilton: The American Musical" and her school best friend went as Aaron Burr (same show). As Don was having open heart surgery that day, they trick or treated together and I did not see them. The next picture is from Maia's Halloween party. The last one was taken at Aaron Burr's grave in Princeton (his father was a president of the United States, so the former U.S. Vice President was buried near his parents). I think the weather was nice enough for trick or treating.

It has been a few years since I've updated this post. By the time Ashley entered high school and then college, Halloween was more on her and less on me. The pumpkin patch closed, thus taking away our annual photo op.

2020

Freshman year of college Ashley celebrated in COVID lockdown with Abby, who was supposed to be her roommate until Muhlenberg decided they should each have a single their first semester. They went thrift store shopping to find their costumes. I'll have to find those pictures to share. (Abby and Ashley were roommates their second semester of college.)

2022

Ashley and her girlfriend, Anna, dressed as Bert and Ernie. Ashley (Bert) had a shirt similar to what Bert would wear. Anna bought an official Ernie shirt from a Sesame Street shop. Paired with a rubber ducky found by chance at Target, they turned it into a photo shoot. They wore nametags when they went out to make sure people knew who they were trying to be. Quite clever!

2023

Ashley and Anna dressed up as chefs from Ratatouille. I don't have a story to go along with the picture.