Halloweenies

Today being Halloween I look fondly back on the last nearly 10 years of this journal and all the days I took my kids out trick or treating, and all the fun we had. Jess stopped hanging out with us for Halloween a few years back because her best friend's birthday is today (Happy birthday Lizzy, my other daughter who isn't my daughter...) so it was just us and Geoff for a while.

I remember rushing home from work when I worked in Andover to get makeup on my gypsy and put red hair color on my little devil, pictured here in first grade at school. God, he was so freaking cute...

Last year Geoff decided he didn't want to trick or treat anymore. I guess all kids hit this age and then maybe in late high school or college they change their tune and get back into it. He didn't want to even dress up to hand out candy. He was kind of ... meh about it. Instead, we stayed home all together, handed out candy and he was genuinely interested in the trick or treaters, the little ones, and the adults dressed in costume. Doug and Geoff were both incredibly entertained by the Smoking Banana and his Pirate Friend.

Geoff saw a lot of his friends as they came by, and they all asked him why he was home. He muttered "mghghrrhifnt too old mfongygyningg... have fun." and they went on their way.

My friend Janet and her husband and kids came here last year to trick or treat in our neighborhood. Last year we were deep in the death fears of H1N1 virus and the retirement/older people community here in town canceled their annual trick or treat event so Janet and Dave had nowhere to go. Our neighborhood is pretty cool, we are on a busy street but there are two nice side streets full of homes and candy, so we sat out front and the boys and daddy went trick or treating.

Janet brought me a bottle of wine, and we had snacks, and it was a lot of fun.

I'm hoping they come back this year. I'm moving the fire pit to the end of the driveway and we plan on having a nice little fire with "boooooooooooooooo!ze" and "Snickers and Liquors" for us grownups.

Geoff has raked all the up front leaves into one pile. He plans on hiding underneath them and jumping out and scaring children. At least he's in the spirit of it this year instead of "blargalalar mgarfr hoinnn too old meh."

I can't find my halloween witchy hat and my fake rubber rats. I'm all out of candles, and it is too windy out there anyway for them. I think the fire will be just fine and we'll have plenty of happiness in the neighborhood.

This is a picture of Jess, not from Halloween but from our friend Kyra's bat mitzvah. Jess is using this as her facebook picture right now, and I love the photo. She had no idea I was taking her picture, and she was mildly amused by the 13 year old crazed children on the dance floor. She is doing nothing for halloween in Pittsburgh. I get the feeling she is somewhat depressed, especially not being with Elizabeth for her birthday for the first time in many years. I feel awful for her -- I wish I could have brought her home for this weekend, but she'll be home in 3 weeks.

I miss her. A lot. So a nice little Mona Lisa smile makes me happy.

Hope whatever you find yourself doing for Halloween that you have fun.