All Hallowz Eve

What's up, gang.

So here at last we have pinnacle of Fall - what the entire month of October has been building up to, the last non-Christmas-ish day of the year.

Yours Truly had a half-day of work today - which was awesome - and Kris took the entirety of the day off so she could catch the girls' costume parade at their school and volunteer in their classrooms for their Halloween parties.  Most of that stuff went down in the morning, so by the time I got home around 12:30pm, Kris and I were able to drive around a few different stores and hunt for a pre-lit Christmas tree for this year (as you may or may not recall, we pitched ours last year as more and more strands of lights had gone out over the course of the last five years, and we eventually said 'screw it.')

After picking up the girls from school, we had a few hours to kill before taking them out around the neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating, which lasted about an hour-and-a-half, thereabouts.  From there, we just let the kids chow down on sugar and watch a few movies before forcing them to bed.  All in all a pretty run-of-the-mill Halloween.

Behold. . .

Start of the Costume Parade (here's Alayna and her class snaking their way through the Library.)

Alayna's teacher leads their class outside into the cold. . .

Next year the Cannonball should probably dress up as something warmer than a pirate.  Like a Wampa.

More of Alayna's class (that kid with the boombox definitely has some awesome parents. . .)

Abby's class passes by

That kid dressed up as a frickin' treasure chest has Halloween costuming mastered.  Kinda pissed Kris didn't get a shot of Abby and them together.

Abby and some friend of hers from school, who apparently dressed up as an Amish person. . .?

Ain't no party like a fourth grade party 'cause a fourth grade party don't stop.

And here's a couple second grade party shots. . .

I'm soooo glad I don't have to host Halloween parties for my 8th graders.  That'd be a straight-up train wreck.

Getting some reading in during the down-time between dinner and trick-or-treating.

. . . and some piano practice.

Ready to take these pirates out trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood.

The dog handled himself pretty well during our hour-and-a-half walking around.  He never barks at people, just other dogs, and there were about a half-dozen or so also being walked around.

We made it all the way down our road, crossed the street, and made our way back to the house, and even hit up a cul-de-sac within 90 minutes.  The kids' pace has definitely improved.

We could have probably stayed out later, but I wanted to turn on our house lights and pass out candy as well (seeing how we had bought a crapload to give out), so I kinda rushed us back.

Back at the house, ready to receive trick-or-treaters.

Warming up inside and preparing to dig through their hard-won plunder. . .

Moving furniture, plugging in lights, establishing Halloween-ish atmosphere. . . such is the Realm of Dad.

Our neighbors next door had prepared special bags of candy - full bars, larger items, etc. - for each of the girls, so they were definitely stoked when they finally had a chance to dig through them.

 

Starting our Halloween movie marathon off with this Tim Burton classic. . .

Abby approves.

Another Burton flick.  'Cause 'screw you, school night.'

I usually hunt down a special big bottle for Halloween - like this 9% ABV Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Shipyard (I've had it a few times before as my go-to Halloween beer.)

Happy Halloween, America.

- Brian

Laps Around the Block

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Scooby, Velma and Daphne

Okay, so we have a month of build-up leading up to Halloween - the entire month of October - all devoted to a mere hour or so of running around the block a few times, knocking on neighbors' doors and asking for handouts.

Like Christmas, the build-up to Halloween itself is starting to become more fun than the actual holiday itself anymore.  Trick or Treating is over so damn fast that afterward, while your kids are watching crappy Halloween specials and gorging themselves on processed sugary garbage, you start to question if the hours and hours of house decorating, the multiple trips to Halloween City, Meijer, Target and Walmart, the costume purchases in-store and online, and obligatory quest to find and mutilate pumpkins is all worth it.

Okay, that's stupid.  Of course it is.

This year the weather was significantly better than last year's freezing rain crapfest, so the girls wanted to be out and about more.  Unfortunately for all parties involved, Halloween fell on a Monday night this year, so it was a school night for three of us. . .

. . . and trust me when I say that there's no greater hell on Earth than a Middle School classroom the day after Halloween.

Okay, maybe Valentine's Day.

Behold. . .

The Haunted Not-So-Mansion

Ready to take Watson around the block for some candy acquisition. . .

Reba and Sophie had already carpeted a few houses before swinging by to meet up with our girls. . .

Like last year, Kris volunteered to take the girls around the block first, while I stayed behind to watch Kung Fury and pass out Halloween Candy, then we'd switch places. . . which is exactly how we started things this year.

(This pumpkin beer was a little hoppy for my taste. . . probably wouldn't do it again.)

Ivy Squad

After their first lap around the block, I left our bowl of candy out on the porch, locked the dog back up in the house, and joined the neighborhood pack of kids and adults for a second lap around the block.  Needless to say, it was pretty hard to keep up with these guys.

I kinda wish I had taken the girls out around the block first, and had Kris stay back and pass out candy, 'cause Kris didn't take any pictures while it was still somewhat light out, and so all of our trick-or-treat pictures are, well, pretty shitty.  Next year I'll be sure to remedy that, America. . .

 

Is this a good look on me?

Back at the house, ready to call it a night. . .

The girls begin tearing through their candy while watching some Halloween movies (and while I pick out all the crap that we don't want them to eat, or that's questionable in nature - all that stuff I'll end up taking to my classroom to give out to other people's kids. . .)

This dog's a mooch.

- Brian

All Hallow's Eve (Now in Michigan Form!)

Seriously?

Well, this Halloween sucked.

Seriously.  What the hell was up with the weather tonight?!  Low-50s and pouring rain?  Thanks a lot, Michigan.

Ghastly weather be damned, our kids were determined to venture forth into the crappiest of weather in order to Trick or Treat.  This was their first Halloween in Michigan, after all, and they weren't about to let a bunch of rain ruin it for them.

They wouldn't have much company out on the streets, though - we had been expecting hordes of trick-or-treaters to assail our house tonight, seeing how family-friendly our neighborhood is, and based on the testimonies of many of our neighbors - but the rain kept most kids at bay, and a result we had about five bags of uneaten candy that had been purchased for trick-or-treaters.

That's going to my school, rest assured - I don't want my kids feasting on that for the next couple of months.

Anyway, here's how Halloween 2015 went down. . .

Alayna inspects some of the candy we had on standby for trick-or-treaters.

How to NOT use an Imperial blaster.

Some Halloween-ish pictures of the inside of our house for you. . .

Enjoying a sucker, wearing Kris' witch hat. . .

Me and Kris' pumpkins out on the front porch, lit and ready to roll for the evening's soggy festivities.

Mom and John swung over about a half hour before Trick or Treating started in order to snag some pics of their grandkids in costume, which went HORRIBLE this year (yet another reason why this year will go down in history as one of the worst ones we've had.)

They were incredibly uncooperative tonight.  Moreso than usual.

(This is probably the best picture we have of the girls all suited up for Halloween this year.  Seriously.)

Showing off her vampire make-up.

Kris and Mom.

Papa John, the Cannonball, and the lone remaining Lions fan in Michigan.

I let Abby use one of my old Star Wars blasters from college to accent her Princess Leia outfit.  She used it for about half the night, then switched it out for an umbrella (can't say I blame her.)

This was the first Halloween we had in a community where most houses give out Halloween candy, so I stayed back to pass out candy while Kris took the girls around the block.  Then, afterwards, she came back to pass out candy and I took the girls around the other side of the street.

Venturing off into the storm. . .

Abby's pumpkin.

(You'll note the absence of trick-or-treaters. . .)

Appreciate this picture of our house decorated for Halloween, Internet - I got soaked taking it for you.

While Kris and the girls got drenched trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, I stayed in and watching the epic Kung Fury and passed out candy (to, like, twenty kids.)

Watson enjoyed barking his ass off every time kids came to our door. . . which got old real fast.

This was pretty decent, as far as pumpkin beers go.  Still can't wait for Stout Season, though.

Kris and the girls returned after about a half an hour, and we switched places.  We had them put on boots before going out again (the leaves were keeping the rain water from draining into yards, so most of the sidewalks were flooded), and I made them carry umbrellas as we set off to hit up the other side of the street.   

After about fifteen minutes, though, Alayna wanted to come home and warm up (and watch some Halloween movies.)  I tried telling her she could go and get more candy, but she looked at me and said, "Daddy, if there aren't a lot of trick-or-treaters going to our house, we have more candy at home than I'll get walking out here in the rain."  Touché, kid.

Examining candy prior to mass-consumption.  No syringes this year.

One of our neighbors was giving out cans of Coca-Cola, which, when placed in fancy wine glasses, increases in tastiness.  That's science, people.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Plunder

Watson bides his time. . .

Happy Halloween. . . I guess.

- Brian