All Hallow's Eve

When I was a kid our house was THAT house.

I think you know the one.

THAT ONE.

My parents were amazingly festive.

Apparently, as teenagers they (with the help of their youth group*) ran a Spook Trail in the woods complete with a Headless Horseman who rode up to the hay wagon and jerked one of the passengers off the ride.(She was in on it, of course)

Needless to say, when the fall rolled around, the only thing to rival Hokie football mania at our house was Halloween.

As kids, we used to drive around with the Halloween theme music playing as we trick or treated Dad trying to play the Halloween theme music while I screamed for him to turn it off.  Oddly enough, I do not cope well with the frightful froo-froo.

As I got older, it did get better.

Probably because at some point, Dad stopped paying attention to me and my nervousness. 

Like it or not, on October 1st, the Halloween decorations came out.

And little by little, Daddy would add to them.  Until just in time for the big night, it was complete.

It became fun. 

Exciting, even.

Once we were teenagers, and old enough to drive ourselves around, my parents got to do the one thing they had been waiting YEARS for.

My dad, who had a flair for the dramatic, would go all out.

And my mom would buy the biggest candy bars she could get her hands on.

Our house became the house that everyone wanted to go to. 

The favorite.

(I'm sure it had nothing to do with mom's candy, and everything to do with Daddy's Fright Fest)

Credit (This is eerily similar to some of our decorations, only picture my dad as the dude)

And the kids loved it.

My last Halloween at home was by far the best.

By far.

Imagine, if you can.

Somewhat similar to the scene above, our front yard was transformed into a graveyard.  A large coffin sat off to one side, partially opened. with a spotlight and a fog machine inside.  In the shadows perched a darkly shrouded witch (me-hehe!).

At the front door was the Butler.  i.e., my father.  White face with big black smudges under the eyes and a dead pan face.

As the kids approached, the Halloween theme music played and just as they walked past the eerie coffin, I would screech at the top of my vocal range.

Kids screamed and jumped about 2 feet and then ran inside past the scary butler to my sweet mother with her giant candy bars.

Yes, we may have had 1 or 2 criers. 

But with the giant candy bars waiting inside, it didn't take long to dry the tears.

And the other 98 visitors LOVED it.

We actually had one group who came back 3 times with the other people they had run into on the way.

Now, don't expect me to go to that length these days! 

That was 5 years and 1 baby ago.

However, I may be counting the days until I can send my Little Man out with his siblings/friends so that my house can become the most popular house on the block!


*You know, back in the days when Halloween was just alot of fun.  A year or 2 before it became a sin in Baptist churches.