It's Halloween Ghosts and Goblins can be Seen!

Before Tralee's Halloween costume was on. . . .


After Tralee's gorilla costume was on. . . .


So, Halloween was full of events for us. Jim came home from work and we headed off to his Uncle Dave's house. Jim's job was to help spook the children that came to their door. He dressed up in a scary costume, as did Uncle Dave. As the children approached the porch they heard spooky music blasting, there were cauldrons full of dry ice that smoked, menacing candles burning, bugs, spiderwebs, a coffin, bats, body parts, and Jim guarding the candy. Uncle Dave hid in the yard where nobody noticed him so he could sneak up on the kids. This is what usually went down:

Kids stopped in the street and looked up at the porch deciding whether or not to go up. Usually they would approach with caution, sometimes tears would already be streaming down their face (I'm not kidding), and one of them would ask "Is it real?" meaning Jim. As soon as they decided nothing was going to happen Jim would jump up and the kids would scream, run away, cry, or all three. Sometimes brave children would stay and Jim would reach for the bowl of candy and hand it out. While this was happening Uncle Dave would sneak up on the kids, so as they turned to run away he would be standing there unto which more screams, tears, and terror would follow. As soon as the kids were out of the yard, and thinking all was safe, they would pass Uncle Dave's mailbox that had a sheet/ghost thing covering a leaf blower. Jim would wait for people to pass it, then plug in the leaf blower, and the poor person passing by would get another fright. It was pretty funny. And I have to say there was absolutely no mercy! A little six year old girl would be crying up Dave's walkway, while her Dad was pushing her to go get candy and Dave would walk right up to her and scare her to death! It didn't matter how young or how afraid the kids were, coming to Uncle Dave's porch only meant they would leave even more terrified than before.


Tralee slept through all of this, and woke up in time for the kids to lay out all of their candy. She had her first piece of candy ever! A lollipop. She got it all by herself, and was sucking on it with the wrapper on. Since she was sucking right through the paper, I decided to take of the wrapper and let her taste it. She got it for a few minutes until she started rubbing it on the carpet. That's when mean mommy took it away and replaced it with a grape. I'm sure the grape tasted worthless to her taste buds in comparison. But, the experience made a great photo op.


Later on some of Jim's other cousins, Rob and Adam, showed up and got into costumes. They helped scare kids for awhile until that got boring, and they decided to leave and start scarring adults. Uncle Dave had a list of people he knew that he wanted to scare. So, four adult men got into scary costumes, piled into our car and left to go "haunting." Haunting is when the aforementioned gentlemen (if I can call them that) walk right into someone's home--without being invited or even ringing a doorbell--and encircle a family or individual without saying a word. The effect is supposed to bring terror, fright, laughter, or discomfort or all of the above. Then, once the desired reaction is given, the four men walk right out of the house and it's as if they were never there.


At one home they all walked right in and there was a little boy on the floor sifting through his Halloween candy. The scary men encircled him and just stood there waiting for him to notice. As soon as he did his head bolted up and he yelled to his parents who were entertaining guests in another room, "Guys, the people in our house are scarring me." The parents did nothing, probably thinking their little guy was hopped up on sugar. I think eventually the parents noticed, but who knows. At another house Jim was sitting next to a teenage girl and just let one rip! That sounds like my man. Anywho the people were freaked, and interested in figuring out who was haunting them. Some of them guessed peoples names, but they will never know!

There was one experience the guys had that I'm debating whether or not to write in my blog. I guess I'll give the PG rated version. The guys decided to haunt a house, but nobody was home yet. Then the garage opens and a van pulls up containing a happy little family getting back from trick-or-treating. So, naturally the haunters decide to spook them and encircle the van. Screams erupt, tears are falling, and the parents seem spooked but they're not too terrified yet. After a few minutes one of the parents finally says, "Ok, you guys better go now." Of course this means the guys decide to stay longer, which results in a bit of an episode. Let's just say the cops were ALMOST involved, Jim was ALMOST beat up by the husband that looked like a football player, and we ALMOST didn't have a ride home. In the end one of the haunters reveled himself, and explained to the frightened family who he was and that they've been haunting for years--never meaning any harm. The family relaxed, apologized for "losing it" and all was well in the end. Do you think the guys learned their lesson after this experience? NOPE!! They haunted another house right after this! They said is was boring, well compared to last one I should think so! Unbelievable!


All and all, our Halloween was full of what everyone's Halloweens should be full of: excitement, an adrenaline rush, candy, tears, fears, and fun!

In case you're wondering, my costume was a piece of gum stuck on the bottom of a shoe. Jm was a scary goul, and Tralee was a gorilla.



That's all folks.