Happy Halloween!

Phew!  Halloween 2010 is over and I feel like I need a great big nap.  Between decorating, pumpkin carving, costume gathering, parades, and trick-or-treating, I feel like it's been a marathon of festivities, but all very much worth it.  All you have to do is see the smiles below and you'll know what I mean....

First, the house.  Yes, we live in a pink house that we affectionately call, "Frankenberry."

Ian, the dragon.

Eli, the cowboy.

Kai, the astronaut.

The cast of characters, 2010.

Even Rupert got in on the action!  C'mon -- bowlegged, with an underbite and a crazy snaggletooth?  A pirate was the obvious choice!  Aarrgh mateys!

Kai and Sam, besties 4 ever.

The Ashland Halloween parade (about 1/100th of it!)  Halloween is THE big deal in our town every year.  We estimated that at least 15,000 people turned out for the parade and festivities, and 98% of them were in costume, kids in tow or not.  We live in an awesome place.

And who led the parade?  Jack Skellington on stilts, of course!  I want everyone to please make note of the fellow with his back to the camera in the bottom right corner of the photo.  This is Dr. Pete, our across-the-street neighbor.  I had to laugh because next to him is his 6 year-old son, dressed as Chewbacca, and Dr. Pete went as Han Solo.  But the reason I draw your attention to this otherwise not-incredibly-interesting detail, is that I want you to look closely at the weapon in Han's belt loop.  Yep, that's a potato ricer, or as he put it, his non-violent weapon of choice!  I love this town.

More parade fun.  We were standing right in front of a Starbucks to watch the parade.  When I went inside to get a coffee, I was served by a lovely male barista, dressed to the nines in a naughty-gay-pleather policeman costume, complete with a tutu!  Extra hot, indeed.