TRICK or treats

 These are the treats...

and these are the TRICKS!!

 that was Maddie (so unlike her??) and this is Nick:

 me and my monsters...

 our front entrance with our new orange lights...we'll get a few more this week on sale hopefully--

Dinner centerpiece: we had a special ghoulish dinner with the following menu provided by Nick:

 Cat's Lair was broccoli (Nick said cats like to hang out in trees...
is that true, cat-owners?)

Ghost Droppings was mashed potatoes

Bat wings and gravy was pork chops and gravy

Toasted tombstone was wheat garlic toast

and we had this delicious red juice "Ghouls' Blood" and our desserts were made by Nick (granola/pretzel/chocolate) and pie and peanut butter/krispie/chocolate bars. We enjoyed baking all afternoon after church and sitting outside greeting our neighbors etc. The weather was divine! (Yea, Texas!) and we ate our gourmet goodies while passing out treats. Our code word, to get Nick to jump out of his box (which I don't have a photo of) was "treat" and we did that for all kids above age 6 or 7.

Maddie looked so gruesome! She s l o w l y moved her skeleton hand up and down and people thought she was mechanical or a robot. I told them to poke her or tickle her...and some did. She had grown-up people yelling in surprise and she got up a few times (black robed) and at her small stature, didn't scare the older ones, but she did walk in a trance after some younger kids. When she made one girl cry, I sent her back without the ugly lady mask and told her to hug the girl and show her  how cute and little she is...

anyway, we all agreed that being together on Halloween, seeing friends and handing out candy was our best Halloween. We usually split up, one of us goes with kids, they go with friends, and one stays home to get the door. Since it was Sunday, we all decided to stay home, have a family holiday-themed dinner and stay together that night.

Costume Craze at Church

Every year our church has a Trunk or Treat night, costumes, chili-cook off, pies, etc.

Our two nerds: Nick and best buddy, Malik

nice poses, boys!

 Ted and Cruella Deville, they are quite matching, so I thought I'd get a photo!

 I was so thirsty, i grabbed a pitcher during clean up, and started chugging.

and no, I'm not pregnant, just 42 and too busy lately to work out! eek!

Myself and this lovely queen below were some of the ladies in charge of this event.

Our church "family" has grown so much, that we didn't fit! We needed  TONS more

help and we will be recruiting next year (and eating outside, with Texas weather,

it should work out nicely!)

 So, Ted was pretty much strutting all over the house when he tried on his costume for the first time. I got it last year the week after Halloween for ONE DOLLAR! sweeeeet! The wig is from his collection of wigs. While he loves wigs, I love hats, and we both really love microphones. I think we need to put that on our Christmas list!

Lastly, but not least, my favorite family costume:

three of the four Smith kids. we love them! and they look so cute!!!

and final cuties: 2 new gypsys -- who will not live far from us once they move in. so cute!

Ghosts on the loose!

Our ward and neighborhood have a fun Halloween tradition of "boo-ing" or "ghosting" other families with anonymous treats left on the doorstep in the evening, usually with a poem and a picture of a ghost. You hang the ghost in your window or front door to show others you've been "boo-ed" after you get the yummy treats.

A crafty friend and art teacher taught us how to make these festive houses

a few years ago. it's my favorite halloween docoration!

In a monh or so, I'll post the Christmas houses Maddie and I made.

(hint: the house is thin cardboard and can be bought at Hobby Lobby;

then cover it with cute scrapbook paper, modge podge and glue any

cute buttons or yard, etc. and ¡poof! you've got a holiday house!)

Our kids and good friends, the Moore brothers, are enjoying it so much

that we just keep on going, each week, for a couple of nights. They love

dressing up in dark clothes, ringing, running like the wind, and hiding...

All Hallow's Eve

Halloween affords balmly weather as you can see for Texans...

Maddie's school "costume" for a special Red Ribbon week Nick's new classic move: the guns and a little ckck noise; Ted with Dukes of Hazzard shirt and favorite mullet wig; and Maddie has changed into a Supergirl outfit for the nightly trick-or-treating. Ted warned her that age 12, she is probably done going door-to-door... I stayed home to answer the door, read, and relax.

Halloween Photos--quick, before Thanksgiving!

Ted and mullet youth at church dinner...Can you see Ted's huge Elvis "helmet" in the dark background? Should have gotten a better shot of this----

I went all out once I found all these costume parts from friends. I like the wig...I think I'll invest in a good wig every year. Now I know why Ted has such a hankering for wigs...they're fun!

Nick got the Fantastic Four costume from his buddy. Then he had his face painted like flames. He is The Human Torch, if you don't know the characters: that's his head of fire!

Maddie bought this right before the ward party: "diva costume"

Very snazzy! We called it, "Camo Diva" outfit. It has sparkles all over which are hard to make out in the photo, but very flashy in person.