Spook-tacular Halloween!

Here we are kids another Halloween has come and gone. I think this may have been the most fun I have had since I was young enough to still trick-or-treat.

Growing up my family lived above a restaurant for about 18 years, and nobody knew we were there so we never had trick-or-treaters. I would go out every year and collect a garbage bag full of candy and then fill up my Mum's roasting pan when I got home and sort out what I liked and didn't like. I would put my step-dad's favorite aside for him, (they were my least favorite) those hard caramel kiss things. He loved them and would take them hunting with him the following weeks. This went on until I was about 14, which by then I was getting strange looks from people. I was also tall for my age which didn't help. Finally I moved out on my own and Mum and Dad had Halloween at their new house. I vaguely remember going there and seeing the little kids, my Mum was thrilled to hand out treats. Again this was a whole new world to us! Everywhere I lived after that was an apartment or a condo where nobody knew you were there.  Finally in Champaign-Urbana we rented part of a house on a busy street. Paul and I were so excited we could finally hand out treats to the kids! We loaded up the candies and goodies, decorated a bit outside and we got maybe 8 kids that year. Even less last year since it was so cold and it was flu season so nobody was out.

A shot of the outside view. Check out the cross eyed owl.

Moving further south we really didn't know what to expect. We share a house here and just have the upstairs neighbor who I will be honest I haven't warmed up to much and she didn't seem like the type to give out candy. So I thought well I am going to decorate outside and set up the foyer to hand out candy. If she has a problem with that she can deal with it, cause this is my holiday. I went out and got a big pumpkin and carved and owl face into it. Mind you it looked a little cross eyed but you got the idea of what it was suppose to be. I made little paper luminaries for the walk way, that had different sayings on them, like "The Witch is in" and "Drop by for a spell" and one that had and eyeball on it and said "Eye see you". That sort of thing. I got my cob webbing out, and my spooky talking tombstone. I was ready to go at 5:30pm. Everything I read said they usually start around 6pm here.  The upstairs neighbor came down and said she was really excited to see that we had decorated for Halloween and was really glad we were giving out candy. That set my mind at ease in a strange way. So Paul and I patiently waited for the kids to arrive. 6:30pm rolls around and not a single kid had come by and none were anywhere around us it was so strange. Even the little kids next door didn't leave their porch. I thought okay they got some weird traditions here. Finally at 7pm the flood of kids start coming just as I was starting to take stuff down in disappointment. We ended up having about 50 or so kids! It was awesome! We gave out organic fruit juice boxes and toys that were left over from last year. It was a major hit! You could hear them walking up the walkway, as my tombstone cackled; nervous to knock on the door. Good thing I didn't dress up like I originally planned too! We had ladybugs, and tigers, Luke Skywalker, puppies, cows, sheep, spiders just to name a few. It was a blast! Paul and I had so much fun seeing all the kids and listening to them cautiously coming to the door. "It says the witch is IN!!!! I'm scared!" LOL! I love it. One of the little guys next door was dressed as a pirate and would yell to the kids walking up to their house "Step onto my ship!" Freakin adorable! They finally came over and of course we showered them with the most stuff. His little brother was Spiderman. I was outside later re-lighting the cross eyed owl and I over heard him tell his Dad that he wanted to come back to our house. That is what Halloween is all about. Even Paul said next year he wants to get more involved with the decorating.  He is making plans as we speak I am sure. Usually I get out there and do it all but we think next year we need to go bigger!

While we were waiting I got bored and cracked open one of the treats we had. 

So my faith in Halloween has been restored! Like I said this was hands down the best Halloween I have had in years!!!! Wishing you all a Happy and Safe Halloween! From Us!