Across Two Classrooms...

Another Halloween, another series of classroom parties, costume parades, and sugary gauntlets to run down.  After years of having kids, we're pretty used to this shakedown.

Alayna and Abby had classroom Halloween parties today, and Kris, having the day off of work, was able to go in and help out.  This more or less entailed bouncing back and forth between a kindergarten and 2nd grade classroom, snapping pictures whenever possible and trying to help maintain order in an otherwise swirling vortex of sugar-infused chaos.

(Glad I was at work this year.)

Anyway, here you go.  Halloween parties at Chestnut Hill. . .

(Abby's pissed because we made her eat breakfast before she changed into her pristine-white Princess Leia Halloween costume.)

Mrs. Larson's second grade class (you can spot Kris there, off to the right, taking video with our Powershot.)

The Cannonball went as a vampire this year, and was quick to show off her new costume.

Arts and crafts time.

Hammin' it up.  No big shocker, there.

Ms. Van Den Boom's Kindergarten class, all lined up for the Halloween parade through the school (you can spot Princess Leia off to the right.)

The parade begins. . .

(No idea why she's resorted to this fingers-in-the-mouth thing recently.)

Alayna and a few of her homegirls during the parade.

This was probably lunch.

Kris' craft for the class - Q-tip skeletons.

The Cannonball - unsurprisingly - didn't finish hers.

More from Mrs. Larson's class.

The crew pose for a pleasant Halloween group pic. . .

. . . then do a weird one.  'Cause they're a big ol' gaggle of 2nd graders.

And now for the Kindergarteners. . .

No idea what the hell this is.

Story time.

That wig refused to stay on her head.  I guess she has a receding hairline.

Creepy you can get a bunch of 5-year-olds to sit still like that. . .

More fingers in the mouth.  

Table discussions.

Doing some candy-and-coloring time.

Kris and another mom tried for awhile to get Abby to pose with another boy in her class, who was dressed as a Jedi.  After awhile of Abby refusing, the other mom just told the boy to stand behind Abby while she was distracted with her coloring. Kris and the mom then got Abby's attention and snapped a few pictures, much to Abby's dismay. . .

Painting pumpkins (you'll note the absence of the white costume, folks.)

(That pumpkin kinda looks like someone took a crap on it.)

Celebrating mediocrity.

Later that day - doing classwork.  No idea how she's still functioning after sustaining herself all morning with candy and chaos.

- Brian