I can't believe it worked...

Of course - bribery helps...A LOT.

Yes - children should be ecstatic to have such an awesome mother who cooks up hair-brain ideas, but my children always seem to chicken out at the last second and stick a bucket on their head for a costume (next year and every year after I'm ok with that idea) - BUT I had this locked in my mind for a year and it required SERIOUS commitment to pull it off.  I don't exactly have cooperating children come Halloween time - hence a monetary bribe.  Seriously I think I got off lucky considering what I asked them to do...

Naturally we had to prep them and WATCH the movie first.  No Johnnie Depp here - 100% politically INCORRECT (with its use of actual "little people" and harsh/somewhat crude rhyming and dance moves) Gene Wilder version for us.  We also had to recruit...Mike TV and Veruca were awesome.

and our OOMPA LOOMPAs were BRILLIANT!! they were such good sports...but let's not forget our tiniest one..

I was absolutely shocked that she went through with it...but she saw the boys and was ALL in (she was able to be a pumpkin fairy for school - complete WITH wings this time so she didn't have to freak out about NOT being able to fly - and being forced to walk everywhere...)

The whole GANG...complete with Willy - he was great..he limped everywhere he went.

Camille-y is our olympic gymnast

and LA-LA-L(uc)y stopped by

and 3 gorgeous musketeers

Willy led the charge leading the troops up and down Mt. Vernon

We had our resident Ninja on hand

and his brother from another mother 

found ourselves the most adorable flapper (her sugar daddy was such an awesome sidekick...I wish I had a pic of Bart and her together!)

and what would Halloween be without a batman?!

THIS whole idea began last year after McLaren got sunburned (or anytime he over-heats) and everytime I would look at him with his little white eyebrows, I had an Oompa Loompa flash across my eyes...so in true self-esteem building fashion I showed him what an oompa loompa looked like and the rest is history.

stealing candy and solving the worlds problems

Lucy is always "camera" ready...Ella is always "candy" ready

This house was wonderful!  The had a massive tub of candy (there's a LOT of people that hit Mt. Vernon)

They even had a piano player on the porch

After we ended our loop - we all sat down for a nice little snack..

Ella's crazy eyes and Bridgers in the previous post just show how DONE the little ones were...that was a LOT of walking!

We didn't have quite enough sugar - so we decided to wash it all down with a little more!

BUT we ended on a good note.  When we got home - Indy told me that he was totally surprised by how much fun he actually had.  I told all of my children last night "I have paved the path for you to know how to have a fun Halloween - now go forth and find your own costumes for every Halloween after - 'cuz I'm done!!"
THE END.

**AND Happy Birthday to my 65yr. old father (these photos count as part of your popcorn/jerky gift), my ??yr old Aunt Alisa, and my 8?yr old Grandmother who is home safe and sound :)