Photojourna.list Blitz: Halloween! 2012

No one wants to trick-or-treat with Darth Vader.
Poor guy. But this year our treat-or-treating was lots of fun as we participated in the annual block parade (a lazy stroll down the block with all manner of chaos ensuing as older kids can't wait to get their clammy little hands on C.A.N.D.Y. and little kids have no idea what is going on.) A St. Louis tradition is to tell jokes before getting candy - something that didn't even extend 2 hours west were I grew up - but my mom enforces the tradition now that she's a part-time St. Louisian and most of the kids come ready. The Tin Man needed a little help from Glenda this year, but it all got sorted out and Dorothy was happy. Most jokes have a spooky twist, like, "Why did the skeleton cross the road?" By far the weirdest set of jokes we heard were from a group of kids that all came to a nonsensical punchline of "Get a job!" (And, no, they weren't dressed as political pundits.)
Indio and I went as Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story, while Alyse and Ruby were a pirate and a butterfly. While Indio kept his eyes on (and distance from) Darth Vader all night, Ruby was trying to figure out just what was going on. Daniel carved an awesome pumpkin to look like Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro; Mom doled out the candy, making sure to get a joke and not hand out seconds; Joe was our resident photographer for the evening. We were all in the spirit, making big plans for more candy and all out theatrics for next year's Halloween - except for Ruby and Indio who were still on the lookout for Darth Vader.

I Ain't No Halloweenie

What the...it's already October! Despite being planted in front of a computer everyday and attached to a phone every waking minute -- both of which tell me the date -- I can't believe October is 29% over and I have 0% done on Halloween costumes. Well, I can believe it and starting on a costume now would put me well in front of previous Halloween's start times -- Indio's first Halloween (caterpillar) I bought a costume bunting because sewing a costume didn't even enter my mind with a 2 month old. Indio's second Halloween (Fred Flinstone) I whipped together the night before by sewing the world's most haphazard orange sheath and then hot gluing embellishments to it. It turned out way better than I thought it would*.

Which brings us to Indio's third Halloween...this year. Indio is into dress up and right now he is very much into Toy Story, Winnie-the-Pooh and Fireman Sam. We've asked him if he wants to be Woody, his answer is yes, Buzz? Yes. Winnie-the-Pooh? Yes. Tigger? Yes. Momma? Yes...okay, he says yes to it all. I am making the executive decision for Toy Story - now I just need to make the costumes and convince him this is the best idea ever.

Some inspirational links:

Buzz Lightyear

Woody

Slinky Dog

Alien toys

Oh, and one more thing: Daniel and I have gotten into the costume spirit in the past. How is this for awesome? Incredibly, both suits came from one Goodwill.

*Last year I was Anya from Project Runway, so the last minute costume actually working out was all in the spirit of Project Runway. My Anya costume I put together in 2 hours.

Halloween's coming!

This year I am eagerly anticipating Halloween. Even though Indy is way too young to appreciate the festivities, something about experiencing our first holiday with him (Labor day didn't count) and building family traditions has me downright giddy. It started when my aunt Marla was recounting her family's Halloween traditions that I realized how special it would be for Daniel and I to create these (hopefully) amazing memories for Indio. Not leaving Halloween memory making to chance, I've taken stock of our established traditions and new ones we're just starting.

Decoration. The past three years I've done your run-of-the-mill front yard tombstones and cobweb decor with a few jack-o-lanterns thrown in. I'll also put out my Halloween luminarias, weather permitting. I'm of the old school mentality when it comes to Halloween decorations, so orange 'Christmas' lights are a no go. I'll probably eat my words in a few years when I decide orange lights are completely charming and decide to drape something with them. Never say never. This year I found gel clings shaped like bloody handprints and threw them up on the front door. Somewhere out there is a blogger posing the question 'when did bloody hand gel clings become the thing to do for Halloween'? Good question.

Treats. This is where things get serious. When we first moved into the neighborhood Daniel made an executive decision that we were going to pass out full-sized candy bars. Not candy corn, not apples (gasp! - no one really does that, right?), and not your typical mini candy bars. Something about it being a dream of his since he was a child...and who am I to get in the way of such an attainable dream? We quickly realized when people introduced us to other neighbors as 'the house that passes out full-size candy bars' that there was no turning back. Rest assured, dear neighbors, that the full-size candy bars have been bought and I tried to get the variety pack with no Almond Joys this year (we actually had a little girl try to return an Almond Joy last year, to the mortification of her mother). Until either we move or a mass exodus of the neighborhood occurs, big candy bars will be a tradition.

More treats. I picked up a pretzel candy kit as a total impulse buy the other day. Consisting of a few plastic molds to transform ordinary pretzel rods into a chocolate dipped variety with a Halloween theme. Quite honestly I bought it (on sale) and had just a tinge of buyer's remorse thinking there was no way was I going to make time to do it, leaving this kit to be stashed away for a year until it resurfaced too late for another Halloween. BUT, it is amazing what a late night craving for a little something sweet will motivate a person to do. The kit was remarkably easy to use even when it was painfully obvious that momma didn't raise no pastry chef. By far the coolest molds are the big rats - being a little too big to be all chocolate we dipped those pretzels in caramel first creating a caramel filled chocolate rat pretzel. If that doesn't say Halloween I don't know what does. I declare Halloween pretzels to be our new tradition.

Tricks. Okay, not really a trick, but each year trick-or-treating gets kicked off with a block parade. All the kids start at one end of the block and make the trek to the other end of the block in full costume. It has been such a fun thing to see in the past and this year I am beyond excited as little Indy makes his inaugural appearance in the parade with his dad. I will be at the finishing end of the block taking a million pictures and doling out our big candy bars.

Short list: Best scary movies (according to us)

Scary
• The Descent . 2005
• The Exorcist . 1973
• 28 Days Later . 2002
• The Blair Witch Project . 1999
• Ringu . 1998
  
  Honorable Mention: creepy, but not scary
• Let the Right One In . 2008
• The Haunting . 1963
• The Cell . 2000
• The Devil's Backbone . 2001
• The Shining . 1980

[Note: House on Haunted Hill made the list only by my choice, not Daniel's. All other choices were mutual. Also, does the rabbit thing in Donnie Darko totally freak anyone else out?]

[11/1/09: Correction . The original Honorable Mention listed House on Haunted Hill . 1959, when I meant The Haunting. How embarrassing.]