Halloween Countdown Report 4

Who's Your Superhero?

A few years back we settled on a costume theme of Superheros:

Halloween 2008

Halloween 2008 without the masks. Good thing Dale took off the glasses or we might not have known it was him.

Ms L and the 2008 preschool class

Ryatt's preschool class joined us for their annual field trip to our house:

Random Trick or Treater

I don't even know who this guy is, but he showed up at our house that Halloween Night (along with thousands of other Trick or Treaters). His costume was one of my favorites of the night. At our house, the rule is "No costume, no treat." And Dale personally hands out glow sticks to every trick or treater that comes by (well, once in a while we give him a bio break, but not often).

Last year started a new tradition. Okay, we didn't realize it was a tradition until it was repeated again this year. The first graders at the local elementary school (last year Ryatt was a first grader there) enjoy a Fall walking field trip, gathering leaves and seeds and other "nature items." It just so happens that our seasonal decorations have become a highlight of "the walk," as 130 plus kids run through the haunted houses and enjoy the "fog bubble machine." Seriously, this fog bubble machine is the coolest invention. It's a bubble machine, but instead of just regular bubbles, it uses fog juice, so when the bubbles pop, the fog appears and drifts away. Here are a few photos from this year's field trip:

Here come the little goblins

 

 

and then they were gone...

The First Grade Field Trip gave Dale a reason to hurry up with some of the decorations. Rain did a great job on the roof hanging creatures from the eaves:

Dale put up a sign, welcoming guests to walk around.

Notice the ghosts in the windows. They move and wave at night.

Many of these decorations involve robotics and animations. Dale puts a lot into the lights, motion, and sound.

Back under the trees are haunted houses for the kids to "walk" through. The grass in that area usually needs reseeding each year. And neighbor kids' bikes frequently line the sidewalk.

 Days Until Halloween: 10

Week 9 - The Minnow

Just sit right back
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
The Skipper brave and sure,
Five passengers set sail that day,
For a three hour tour,
A three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost.
The Minnow would be lost.

-Gilligan's Island

The bus came after all. They made it.

The bus was late today, so Rain and friends came back to the house, looking for a ride.

Halloween Countdown Report 3

Halloween is just around the corner. No pressure. Our costume planning is still in the works. I think I've about given up hope of ever surpassing our costumes from Halloween's of years past. 

In the words of Peter Pan, "Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again." That sounds pretty good right about now.

Halloween 2007

On the other hand, my "grown up" perspective allows me to truly appreciate the joy and wonder in the eyes of my children.

The Halloween decorations are coming along. Dale is usually adding and enhancing all the props right up until Halloween itself, so if you choose to drive by for a look or a walk through our yard, you may want to wait another week. Or you can do as some Halloween fans do, and just swing by daily to see what's changed. We're getting to the point where many of the details can't be captured by a wide shot, so I've included a bunch of close-ups here. Click on each photo for a full size view.

It's quite the honor to get your family name on a tombstone in this graveyard

Days Until Halloween: 17