Memories of Halloween's Past

 Where has this year gone? It seems not that long ago that we were up North celebrating the New Year with family and now here we are almost Halloween. 

Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. I love the decorations! I love the costumes! I love the excitement of the neighbourhood children. Add to that the beauty of Autumn with it's colours and the scent of Fall in the air. 

Matthew's father and I used to go all out on Halloween. We had the dry ice, the voice distorter, the darkened house and cemetery in the lawn. One year he even dressed as Dr. Frankenstein to the neighbour's Frankenstein's monster. 

When we moved back to my hometown while my oldest was little, I hand sewed all of his costumes. As more kids came along it became too much to make all those costume, but I still made sure there was plenty of candy for the trick or treaters. I brought my children to the community Halloween party after taking them through my old neighbourhood to collect goodies. Eventually we moved to the country so there were no more trick or treaters. That didn't stop the decorating though.

As the kids grew and we found a church that we liked, I became active as a volunteer. One of our yearly events was a community Halloween party, to replace the one held years earlier. I would take the kids trick or treating around my old neighbourhood and then we would go to the church party where the older kids loved helping out. When that was over we headed to the local Stewart's convenience store where the kids were given free ice cream cones for being in costume. 

When we moved to Western NY Halloweens became more of the familiar. We volunteered at our church for their Annual Trunk or Treat.  

On Halloween we formed a circle around the parking lot with our trunks/hatches/tailgates facing in and loaded up with candy.  Some decorated their vehicles while others left them plain. Of course we decorated. We had bounce houses, hot dogs with chips and apple cider. The best part? It was all free to the public! The last year outdoors we counted 976 kids. After a couple of years we moved everything indoors (well, not the vehicles). There were a lot more kids coming through since they didn't have to brave the snow and cold temperatures off Lake Erie. Cleaning up the hay spread throughout the church with a leaf blower was fun too!

By the time we moved here to our current home the kids were all too old to go trick or treating, although the girls still like to get dressed up. The neighbourhood kids all go to the malls and other places to get more candy than they would in our small neigbourhood. But I still love the decorations. 

I hope you all have a Happy, and Safe, Halloween!

    

Until Next Time!

    Ingrid

   
  
  

When Sandy gives you rain...

Hurricane Sandy left us cold and wet on Halloween. Normally we would hold Trunk or Treat in our church parking lot but the storm made us make some changes to our tradition.  Because we have a large lobby and gym, our leader - Fred - decided we would be holding what Matthew and I are calling Table or Treat.  

The line of people hoping to have their Halloween fun in drier climes began about 15 minutes before we opened the doors to the crowd. Soon our lobby was packed full of parents and children.

Tucked off to the side, Andrew and Adam chatted
by the bulletin board.

So much fun packed into one room.  The wall was lined with tables loaded with treats.  At our coffee bar we were serving coffee, cocoa and cider to warm those who braved the cold to keep their children happy.  We even had a pile of hay with surprises hidden inside, with the hopes that the children would find them. 

(No needles - somehow that seems wrong.)

So many folks were shocked when they walked up the stairs and into the gym to find not just more tables but also bounce houses.  Three of them!

"Other Bob", not to be confused with Pastor Bob - who was on dad duty - manned the obstacle course bounce house. Jerome went on this one 11 times!!  The hill proved challenging to him and his legs were sore this morning.

To the side of the gym we were lined up.  Each table featuring a different kind of candy.  Some of us carried the themes meant for our cars over to the tables, while Fred provided an Autumn theme for others. 

While the children bounced themselves into oblivion, the parents hung out by the kitchen, munching on hot dogs and washing them down with lemonade.

My Sunday School teacher and her husband were all decked out in costume. They always seem to enjoy this event.

Another member of the Circle of Sisters Sunday School class. She had an amazing trunk which she bought at A.C. Moore and finished it into a beautiful treasure chest filled with candy.

Cowboy Lionel, our guitar player and deacon with these two sweet ladies (including his lovely wife, Janet)

I seriously love that bike!  If I had seen it I would have asked where they got it.  And if they know how to ride it.

Everyone loves the Tin Man.

Really, it is about Jesus. After all, we were giving to others.

Even the teens offered to help. 

Ah! There is the scarecrow!

On to the gym and the feature point - the dogs!  These kids are show dogs and so well behaved.

No, John was NOT handing out dog food.

Isn't she adorable? 

(The Pekingese, I mean)

Jerome wouldn't stop talking for the picture and William's shirt made me sad. It was celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the HMS Bounty. We got it when we toured her in September 2010 at Tall Ships Erie - she was due to come back next fall.

Our theme was slumber party and was modified from the van's decorations. India was there in spirit even though she is 6 hours away in college.  The bedding, angel bear, Hedwig owl, Encyclopedia Horrifica book on the nightstand and lamp were all hers. Several people there said they miss her - so do I.

And there was the third dog. They loved jumping up on the tables to relax - two of them even spent some time on our table. 

Fred's better half - Marcie.  One of the truly sweet ladies from our church. 

Pirates. Must have pirates.

She would have done well with our theme. 

When Marcie's candy ran out, Marcie and Amanda headed over to a vacant table to study for Amanda's vocabulary test.

                                      

How do you clean hay off carpeting?

A leaf blower, of course!

After everyone left and while some of us cleaned up the gym, Andrew took care of the garbage and Matthew vacuumed while Fred blew the hay into a pile.  I didn't get a picture of Matthew since we were relying on his Android phone for these pictures and there was no way he would let me use his phone to take a picture of him. 

When we were all done I went home with three trash bags of hay for the chicken coop as well as about 13 pumpkins for the chickens.  Few things make the girls as happy as pumpkin innards. Jerome was content with the small amount of candy he had collected and we all felt so good inside.

Day one of this month of gratitude:

I am grateful for my children. I love them dearly and am so very grateful to have them all as close and loving as they are.

Oudoe,

Ingrid

One Of Us Has to Be An Adult - It Won't Be Me

India's doodling

Amanda's take on the same clipart

Service started normally enough. I was already pumped up since I was listening to classic rock on the way in. Amanda threw a fit when the Beatles came on but when I changed the station Clapton was just starting, so all was good.  We headed into church knowing it is Youth Sunday, which means the Youth Minister is in charge of all songs and everything up to the sermon. Translation: Contemporary songs!

After several very welcome non-hymns, we had to tolerate an otherwise nice member of our congregation telling us we weren't Christians if we don't vote for whom he says we must. Which led to me ranting on my bulletin and passing it off to Amanda to read.  

Then we were off...

It was mentioned that more cars were needed for Trunk or Treat. I figured since the Subaru would be there (because we were moving the van's decorations to the interior of the van to stay out of the rain and therefore people wouldn't be able to ride in the van without the seats) we could put the Subie to use. I wrote in my bulletin that we could use both cars instead of just the van. Since we already know what the van will look like, I wrote that we needed an idea for the Subie. Amanda and I then wrote ideas back and forth to each other.

We decided the Subie should be decorated as a tech booth (Matthew later pointed out that since it will be raining on Halloween, the Subie will be a "tripod" for the church's camcorder to record the events for playback during the next service - bummer!) 

We continued writing in the bulletin:

Me: Hey! My shirt and socks match!

Amanda wondered out loud about the sound coming from behind us.  

Me - writing on the bulletin: "crickets?" 

Amanda: No! A fan or something like that! 

Me - observing we are sitting in front of the tech booth: There is a fan under the counter and several towers. (Matthew later pointed out that there are 16 fans running in the booth, both inside and out of computers.) 

Amanda: *winking tongue sticker-outer face*   

Me: *smiling tongue sticker-outer face*

Amanda: drew the Vulcan sign and wrote "Live long and prosper".

Even though we were passing notes I was still listening to the sermon and noticed a reference to putting a serpent on a stick and praising him, to which I wrote:

Are we supposed to praise snakes?

Question#2: Didn't he just describe the symbol for the American Medical Association?

Question #3: Does this mean we are supposed to praise the AMA? 

That would explain the idea of being healed from poison.

Amanda: LMAO. 

Me: Then what will you sit on?

Amanda: *winking tongue sticker-outer face* 

Me: *smiling tongue sticker-outer face*

Amanda: *peace sign*

Me: Peace Man

Me - in response to something being said in the sermon about "looking": Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?

Amanda: ?

Me: I see Amanda looking at me

Amanda: I ain't looking (although it looks like she wrote "I ain' Hooking")

Me: You were

Amanda: Ain't

Me: Don't say ain't or your mother will faint.

Amanda: You ain't going to faint. You ain't Mary Warren from "The Crucible".

Me: Are you sure?

Amanda: Yes

Me: You may be wrong.

Amanda: I'm right.

Me: ♫You may be right. I may be crazy. but I just may be the lunatic you're looking for♫

Amanda: *squinting tongue sticker-outer face*

Me: Your face is going to freeze like that.

Amanda: LOL

Me: Lollipop, lollipop. Oh, lolli lollipop.

Amanda: haha

Me: Hahaha, Hohoho. What a sight to see. Under my lollipop, lollipop, lollipop. Lolli lolli lollipop tree.

Amanda: I don't know you, lady.

Me: Then why do you follow me?

Amanda: *squinting tongue sticker-outer face*

Me: See, your face is stuck.

Amanda: *dead eyes toothy-smile face*

Me: Did I just kill you?

Amanda: *rolls eyes*

Me: Don't roll your eyes at me young lady!

Amanda  - writing as we stood for the last song: Wuv you mommy.

  

                             

Then to Sunday School where the pastor in some far-away land - Oklahoma(?) referred to books of the Bible as "boogers" and proceeded to tell us about how he ran down the road after a pickup truck of rednecks when they cat-called to another pastor's wife. 

 ~~~~~~~~

An observation that drives me batty each Sunday when I watch the video: that speck on the screen that reflects the light and makes a shiny spot seriously needs to be found and cleaned. I don't care if it requires an extension ladder to get to it.

~~~~~~~~

Conversation from a previous Sunday School:

Andrew: How is the van running?

Me: The wheels turn until I get here.

Andrew: How do the brakes work?

Me: They stop the van

Andrew: Did the brakes work okay?

Me: I didn't run any stop signs

Andrew: *bangs head on pew*

~~~~~~~~

Pastor in far-away land on screen: Have you ever prayed for something stupid?

Andrew: I once prayed to be a shape-shifter

Me: *chokes on coffee*

~~~~~~~~

Andrew has passed out sugar packets during Sunday School. Should I worry? 

Oudoe,

Ingrid

This is how we do Halloween!

I don't remember the last time I took my kids trick or treating for Halloween.  For so many years we have been helping out at church events instead of going door-to-door.  When we lived at our previous home I had been a Youth Leader and so we worked at the Community Halloween Party.  Since moving here we've participated in our new church's Annual Trunk or Treat.  Last year I dressed up and worked the registration table (it's not really to register, just to keep a head count) while Matthew manned the van. This year Matthew took photos while I handed out candy.  

 Decorating the van was really a last second thing.  I told the boys to toss the pumpkins and headstones into the van just before we left the house.  We had glowsticks in the plastic pumpkins.  

 The reindeer nose and antlers were a result of me mentioning that I had them stored under the seat since Christmas.  Andrew decided we should dress the van as a reindeer for Halloween.  The van had an identity crisis when it came to what holiday we were celebrating and we almost took a few people's eyes out with the antler.  That's okay, we had people giggling and that's always my goal.

 Eagerly anticipating the onslaught of trick or treaters.  We were ready for them.

 The box was filled with candy and it only took two partial refills to keep us stocked.

 Poor Mandi had an accident on the way over.  I told them to stop fighting but you know how kids are these days.  They just don't listen.

 Our Beloved Leader, Pastor Bob, and his beautiful bride, CJ.  We've been blessed to have had three of the coolest ministers in our last churches.

 The Good Witch, India whose official position was deliverer of all food stuff to the starving peasants who were passing food to the short-statured hoards. 

 It was often very busy and we barely had time to look up and really enjoy the costumes.

 Some people had been doing this for so long that they had the whole decorating the car (and themselves) concept down to a science.

 Angry Birds.  How cute!!  What more can I say?  

 Deep breath.  And the thundering herd gains momentum. 

 Wait! What?  There is food??  Yessiree. We had hot dogs, chips, juice bottles, cider.  All free for the taking.  Heck, we even brought some hot dogs home afterward.  (I'll let you in on a secret: I sent the Good Witch India into the kitchen to get me some cocoa.  Shhh... don't tell anyone.)

 Bounce houses.  Can't forget bounce houses.  

 What children's event is complete without bounce houses? We had three, with the big one weighing in at 350 pounds. Matthew and the other men had fun bringing that in the front doors and rolling it to the gym in the back afterward.

 As the evening wore on, the worry over the candy stock was in the back of everyone's mind but we made it with almost a dozen pieces left and only four other cars besides us still open. There were many trick or treaters who came in unnoticed through the back entrance or who walked past the table.  Our official total was 986.  Not bad for a cold-drizzly Halloween night. 

Some of us, like William, gorged themselves on the hot dogs. While others, like Jerome - in the back seat in an earlier photo, ate so much candy that he said he felt a bit queasy.  In the end we were exhausted but happy.

Halloween Video Fun

I found this over at jibjab and just had to make a video using my gang.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!