Fun, Frivolous and Fearsome

To decorate or not decorate.....do I feel Up To It?

The answer this year, is "Yes." So I have gone online and purchased a bunch of Halloween decorations with the goal of having a killer-home for the trick or treaters. Have I ever mentioned that we get 1,000+ kids at the house? This is no joke. Everyone on our street decorates (some people started in September, which I think is just w-r-o-n-g). The street also happens to be long and flat, so kids are literally bussed into our little town and dumped off for a night of Mayhem and Booty.

It's really a sight to behold. Several neighbors do a bonafide Haunted House and we are put to shame every year. My idea of decorating? I have a spider nest that goes up on the front of the house - it has huge purple spider - but that has been the extent of my effort ever since our first year in this house. That's when the kids played kickball with our Malibu lights and they were never to be seen again.

Nowdays, we typically strive to just keep up with the crowds and give out the "good" candy bars...Snickers, Skittles, Milky Way bars. I usually spend about $250.00 and we are picked-clean every year.

I have decided to get back in the spirit and spruce the place up. I purchased the tombstones and the purple Haunted House in the picture above, plus a 5' scary tree with purple lights and 9" spiders that climb up the side of the house. My husband, the master artist-handyman-electrician will assemble all of these items and create the stage.

When Halloween finally arrives, I'll be dressed up like a Pilgrim and handing out the candy. I'll also be:

• Shaking my head at the line of kids that spans from my front door all the way to the street sidewalk.
• Crying at the sight of the sweet little toddlers dressed up like Pooh or bumble bees.
• Giving high-fives to the kids dressed up like Spider Man or Sponge Bob.
• Pouring wine for our neighbors who are taking their kids door to door.
• Managing the panic when the candy dwindles down too fast to last the night.

And all the while, as I take in this amazing scene, I'll be thankful that we live in this great house, on this awesome street that is filled with such darling kids and creative homeowners. My heart will be aching for the time when we have our own kids and are able to go door to door ourselves. And I'll be grateful for the chance to meet so many new people...nice people...from towns nearby.

But no Halloween would be complete without me saying this Silent Prayer: "Please God, don't let anyone trip on our front path or down our stairs....because even though we have an umbrella insurance policy, I really, really don't want to use it."