All Hallows Eve and the children I made fear for their lives' *eh hem* I mean tactfully scared.

To all who do not know, I LOVE HALLOWEEN! This by far is my favorite holiday. I take great care and pride in my decorations and primping of spiders and ghosts. Everyone and everything must be placed, just right. As a last minute venture, I went to Party City and found some great items on clearance. One in particular was a "trap door" on a mechanisim that moved the doors up and down, making a light creaking sound and had a bone hand reaching out of it. It was regularly $40 and I grabbed it for $10. It was one of the most commented attractions in the yard. :) I also got a mask to hide behind and some make-up items.

Sitting at work with my legs about shaking off my body was fun, waiting to get off work. The afternoon flew by though, lots of end of the month work. I finished at 1 minute till 4:00pm so that worked great. I arrived home with a list of things I needed to grab before we left for my parents house. I also got out of the car to find Napolean Dynamite standing before me, snowboots and all. I love this day!

So we headed down the road and walking down the street we saw a nun with some groceries heading home.... priceless. We pulled around the corner to find my parents placing crosses in the front yard with fake mounds where the deceased have been recently buried and my aunt and uncle placing the 16 pumpkins we carved, throughout the yard. Yes, I said 16 pumpkins. My dad had placed my 5 ft skeleton in a noose from a wooden prop he made and attached it to a tree. Looked great. I got out and set out to work, setting up my lab table and fog machine. This involved covering the table in black table cloths and setting mason jars with water and glow sticks and misc. bugs. A mini coffin with a skeleton sitting up in it. A cauldron with lights in it, so it would properly glow and a lot of bats, spiders and rats spread around. I hid the fog machine under the table and grabbed a chair. I placed a hologram machine that projected witches on the side of the house. There were curtains set up in front of the doors to walk through and spider webs all the way up the walk way. Along with some chalk outlines on the sidewalk. Then the floating head was set up in one of the windows, screaming in the background.

I went inside, put on my mask and my cloak. My dogs walked right up and licked my hands. My cousins dog barked and ran away... poor girl. Probably didn't help I was chasing her but it's rare you see a pit bull so scared. I walked outside and got settled in my chair and positioned myself to look as fake as possible. Slumped over and happy as can be, victims, I mean kids started coming in packs. All of them staring and pointing and "ooohing" and "awwing" I couldn't be any happier unless I had some whiskey and hot wings in front of me.

It was fun to see them stare through me as hard as they could. Trying to decide if I was real or not was hilarious. I would tilt my head or raise my arm quickly to some of the older ones just to see them jump a little. I was very sweet to the little ones. They would be very hesitant to walk up to the door and I would quietly speak "it's okay, just walk up to the door, no one will scare you." They would walk really slow, just watching to make sure I wouldn't get them. Even a mom who was staring at my table, saw my eyes shift and said, "hey there's someone in there." I lifted my head and spoke, which made her jump a little and then she laughed. Then as the kids walked away from the house I would turn on the fog machine, which some would run or scream or dance in it. Well the mom screamed and jumped.... oops. Good thing she had a good sense of humor about it.

Kids came and went, all staring and admiring the pumpkins and decorations. I got to hear some of the best comments, which made how tired I was worth it all.
"This house right here, is the reason I still love to come trick or treating."

A mom said, he (referring to her son) almost ran to your house, he looks forward to coming here every year and wanted to skip all the other houses to come here first.

Another family that comes by every year, always takes pictures in front of our pumpkins and hay bails. That is one of their traditions. :)

"This is always the bestest house."

"Hold on, I'm trick or treating." Said a fairy on her cell phone. That was pretty funny.

I saw pirates, a Napolean, princesses, a bumble bee, spiderman, Jack Skelington, "Black-u-la" and lots of others. Most of the people had no idea I was there, so I got to hear first hand what everyone really thought. Lots of parents that loved the pumpkins, it was so awesome to see families enjoying our work together. It was the greatest spiritual boost to know I was contributing to such great kid memories. I'm still on a little high today...

I'll post pics as soon as I get them developed...

"I may dance with the devil but its only because he has the best music."