Back to Halloween

For Halloween, we had a small dinner party of about TWENTY-FIVE friends come over before hitting the streets of Wallingford demanding candy. This was something my sister, Mairead/Auntie Mae Mae, demanded we do while she was visiting because Halloween is her birthday. I obliged. It was a lot of spaghetti, a lot of mess, and a lot of fun.

Uncle Dylan has been called "Dill Pickle" since before we had kids. Can you guess what his costume is? It isn't Gumbi with warts. It isn't the various gross things that Steve suggested it could be (use your imagination and pretend you are Steve and you will come up with a few.).

Don't you love the photo above. It looks like he is hanging out on the sidewalk with the monsters eating candy.

I could have taken photos of The Pickle all night. Every time I saw him, I burst in to laughter. My favorite was when he very seriously and politely introduced himself to my neighbor, shaking her hand like he is a politician...in a pickle costume!

That's mys sis, Mairead, Raggedy Anne.

Niamh and Finn, the Wind Up Doll and Astronaut.

Left to Right. Rosie the Giraffe, Ella the Fairy Unicorn, and Anjali who had the absolute coolest costume that I didn't get a photo of. She had a Metro Bus created from cardboard, which she wore with straps over her shoulders and she was the bus driver. Genius!

Niamh with Jaya, the super scarey ghost with awesome makeup.

I love when girls do creative costumes and aren't just princesses and dolls. This is Maddy, she is dead.

Our neighbor, Finn, known as "The Other Finn", as Merlin.

Apparently the Shaw Girls (me and Mairead) are the only ones who played "Doughnut on a String" growing up. The other parents thought it was such a silly game. Steve kept chanting "Swine Flu" as the kids took turns trying to get a bite of the doughnut hung from the doorway. Beats bobbing for apples. Who wants to stick their head in a bowl of water for an apple?

Finn, The Other Finn, Niamh, and Maddy getting ready to go Trick or Treating. Maddy is looking ambitious with her oversized shopping bag for the loot.

Dylan, Mairead, Me (Shaved Ice), Erin, Steve in Finn's costume, Niamh, Finn, and Maddy

I packed a cooler for the adults in to the kids' old stroller and we all accompanied our little costume clad kids in begging for candy from our neighbors.

Niamh sorting her candy when it was all said and done...then she and Finn both opted to trade it all in for a toy at Top 10 Toys the next day. More for me and Steve to eat! If I were smart, I'd trade it in for a smaller jean size.

Ahhhhh, the late night festivities. KARAOKE! I discovered about a a year ago, while on a trip with Microsoft, that I love to karaoke. While I look terrified in this picture, I am sure it is just because Erin can't sing as well as me.

Still singing.

Just like her big sister, Mairead also enjoyed rockin the microphone. I'd have to say my favorite was MC Hammer's Can't Touch This. In fact, I am doing the rump in my seat right now just thinking about it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Achoo!