Halloween Fun, Part IV

Auntie Julie is not available for participation in spooky shenanigans this year, unless you count body armor as a costume. But we didn't want her to feel left out. We decided her car could be her proxy -- surely she would approve of draping one of her possessions in spiderwebs!

Halloween Fun, Part III

For the second year in a row, Leah was adamant that she wanted to be Mickey Mouse. She also seemed very concerned that our neighbors not be confused about her presence on their doorstep. To that end, she greeted everyone with an emphatic, high-volume "trick or TREAT." Occasionally she thought it was important to ring the doorbell, even though the neighbor in question was already out on the porch. Fortunately, our neighborhood is used to our particular brand of quirkiness. We are, after all, the family that has been heard playing Feliz Navidad at the bus stop in April.

When she wasn't engaging in in-your-face trick-or-treating, Leah decided the best view of the festivities came from the roof of our Honda Civic.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse meets the cast of Fame. Or something.

I've died and gone to football hell

Navy 46, Notre Dame 44. And if I hear Tom Hammond talk about a broken 43-year streak one more time I will find a way to heave my unwieldy, 37-inch-screen, pre-flat panel television out my family room window.

If you're out and about in Annapolis this weekend and see a bunch of drunken Midshipmen, you'll know why.

Halloween Fun, Part 2

Guess whose husband bought her a battery-operated pumpkin carver?


It must have brought out the "Chainsaw Al" in me. Something about having a (small) power tool inspired me to create the above tribute to cannibalism.

Our other offerings were a bit tamer: Charlie Brown (which was actually the one I shed blood over) and a pirate ship. Pumpkin carving was much easier on the hands and wrist thanks to the addition of four AA batteries.

The house was a wreck, but by God, we had pumpkins.

Halloween Fun, Part 1

Best costume I saw this year belonged to Aidan (age 14-15 mos), who lives across the street. According to his parents, his favorite thing to do is bang on anything he can find. So they turned his wagon into a drum kit, added some bling and some hair gel, and voila! Aidan is a rock star.

In the background, you can see Maddie puckering up for Aidan's sister Emma. I let her accessorize her Snow White costume with some lip gloss, and she spent the early part of the night sticking her face out, saying, "look at my new lips!"

Thank God I didn't use the one with collagen ...