Halloween 2009

(As I begin to write, I realize that pretty much without exception, my family turns *any* holiday into a multi-day affiar...  good thing we're Jews - at least the mega celebrations are doctrinally correct on occasion.)  

Ben and I kicked off the season of candy and pumpkins on Wednesday with a pumpkin carving party at the library and lots of buddies.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Oz and his dad Josh get down to business

Gabe, Joshua and Ben in a rare hug-free moment that day

Then Thursday Batman and I hit the W&L Halloween carnival with Spidey, a Pumpkin Chef and their mom.  Pumpkins were painted, bad guys were chased far far away from the dorms...

After the carnival we braved the downtown Lexington Trick or Treating scene, which was an absolute mob.  You may be surprised to learn that my new home of less than 7000 ever has need for traffic cops, but I spotted at least 3 on duty, in the middle of intersections directing the hordes of kids through the W&L Parents' Weekend traffic.  (Who on earth thought it would be a

 good idea to hold Parents' Weekend over Halloween?!  Total zoo.)  No pictures as I had my hands full not losing Batman.  

Caitlin came home from NC on Friday so we waited on her to carve our pumpkins.  Unfortunately a pumpkin shortage in western VA seems to have driven folks to resort to squash larceny and we were down to three by the time we got down to business.  (That, or as Chris claims, a raccoon rolled one off...)  We soldiered on and even managed to gross out a neighbor kid in the process.  

Demure and undeterred, Caitlin de-goops like a pro.

The master again, in his element.

And then the main event.  Caitlin was a queen in mourning (you'll have to ask her from which century).  She proudly accomplished her goal of creating an entirely free and no-sew costume all on her own this year.  

Ben again kept Gotham safe.

And I rocked my witch costume, sat on the porch, read about King Henry the VIII's wives, drank beer and handed out candy.  (There's something I don't miss about Wisconsin - the frigid Halloween nights!)

Chris combined Jedi and academic robes for a costume too intellectually terrifying to document.  He had the privilege of escorting Batman on his rounds while Caitlin went off, sans-adult, for the first time ever.  By all accounts she had a blast...

...even if The Devil did horde her candy!