The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Ward and I don't have much in common, and besides our children there is really only one thing that keeps our relationship going year after year, our shared love of Halloween. Before we were even dating, actually going back to the days when we still rather disliked one another, we had one heck of a good time shopping at Goodwill, K-Mart, and the Salvation Army to piece together some of the best costumes. Our love of costumes and dressing up may be the reason we ever started dating in the first place.



My favorite holiday is probably Christmas, but I enjoy the hustle and bustle, the shopping, the decorations and the parties, Ward not so much. He usually goes along with my Christmas shenanigans without much complaining but during October and Halloween he jumps in with the shopping, the decoration and the parties.



For years we attended a good friend of ours Halloween parties, every year we attempted to top the year before's costume. We went as a Prostitute (Ward) and a Pimp (moi), we went as Madonna, we went as Spiderman, and some more that I can't even remember anymore. The last time we went we dressed up as Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. We spent weeks and lots of dollar, dollar bills to put together these costumes, we even purchased real guns, and I don't even like guns, but we had to have our costumes complete. And we could only find one hat that would pass as a Fedora at a Western shop here in town.

(Halloween, 2006)

Last year I was pregnant and our friends Gerald and Lauren didn't even have their annual Halloween party, this year we decided to throw our own Halloween party.

For Kids.

That's right, we have jumped in as usual but this time with a party with kids in mind. We have purchased the invitation materials, been researching creepy, crawly foods to serve and projects to entertain both the young and young at heart. I am trying to get Ward to purchase a Gorilla outfit from Target to go with Coop's monkey costume but it is on the pricey side. He wants to go as the Incredible Hulk or Inigo Montoya, but I would rather go as Miracle Max and Valerie.

So beginning this weekend we will begin the decorating process; tombstones, coffins, black and orange wreaths, cauldrons and more. It's pretty creepy just how into Halloween we get. I discussed it with a few other moms at playgroup who think I should have it at 10 a.m. Sorry. I can't have a Halloween party at 10 a.m., even if it is mostly geared towards children. I won't bring out the Chainsaws or the Freddy Krueger masks, but I can't have a party that early in the morning for Halloween. And besides that is when our children are napping, they may not get much out of the Cleavers First Annual Halloween Party but I want them to at least be awake.

Off I go to rummage together my Brain Cookie with Blood Glaze cookie and Vampire Blood Punch recipes.

-june