Halloween Then - not So Much. Halloween Now - YES!

Halloween  then...Not my favorite holiday..  Six kids, six costumes, six piles of make-up, six+ messy rooms, one tired, worn-out mama!  THEN days of hyper children as they finished their candy.  Eventually we adopted a great rule.  If even one wrapper was found, ALL candy became the parents' (Hubby liked this rule!).  Also, kids ate all the candy they want on Halloween, then it all went in the kitchen for doling out by parents (Hubby liked this rule as well!)

Halloween now...I like it much better.  One messy room, one costume (mine), go to daughter's house which gets messy and enjoy all the excitement with minimal stress.  Go home to minimal mess and a long, hot bath!

I went to school in my ugly witch costume complete with black wig and green make-up (see previous Happy BooDay post), came home, ripped the awful fake lashes off (how do people wear those everyday?), did a few things at home and then the J & A crew came over.  I had told little J that on Halloween he wouldn't recognize me and that I would SCARE him!  He is such a good sport and was looking forward to it! 

 They showed up and Hubby went out to meet the Kangaroo, Superman, Spider and Devil

 The most darling little spider you ever saw!

 The boys were very unsure of themselves when they knocked at the door.  I opened the door using the little tiny hand of a very ugly spider that creeps even me out!

 I was scary at first and you can see how J stepped FARRRR to the right!  It took them several minutes to believe that the witch WAS Nana.

 Eventually I gave up the scary face and replaced it with a smile AND brought out the candy.  That definitely thawed the situation!

 You can see by J's face that he also is full of mischief!  Someday he will definitely scare his own grandchildren and then cackle with joy just like me!

 All happy again!

When we got to daughter A's, there was D, the camo creature, laying in full view like a pile of leaves on the neighbor's grass.  In the dark you definitely cannot see him and he had a lot of fun that night scaring the daylights out of many unsuspecting trick-or-treaters!

 A and J's house is always elaborately decorated with creatures, tombstones, skeletons and other creepy stuff each Halloween.

One little "creature" who got stuck inside with the zombies!

 The other A and J (the Utes) family continue a great tradition of having the family and friends over each Halloween.  It's great because we go to one place and get to see all the happiness and costumes.  Here J (the 2nd Ute) is showing his lack-o-lantern artwork to "I".  You can see the pile of pizzas we consumed that night in the foreground.

 This is Good King N's reaction to my face.  He thought he knew me, but wasn't quite confident.  Notice he stayed a good foot away!  N is one who LOVES to hear my witch cackle, so he always laughs a lot when I do it.

 Part of the Halloween party was a group dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller in the street in front of their house.  I did not know it and neither did S, so we practiced to the video.  Me, sans wig.

 Here were are trying to be Thriller Zombies in the street.

The Smurfs, "I", her friend and J, the Ute (leading the dance)

 Big Boy M was Nemo.  He ran all over the place in a costume that was actually a little too big, but when he fell down he was so padded that it didn't hurt!

 The uglies and the beautifuls

"This spider would be awfully good to eat," said in high, witch voice!

After things calmed down, Grandma and S enjoy a Disney princess book.  What a darling example of what's far more important than dressing up and eating sugar!

We had a great time and are so grateful that the fam likes to get together on holidays.  It was a fun family night for the Anderson Clan!