Halloween Fun in Monrovia!

So, year after year, I go to the Ward Halloween Party, always declaring that no one wanted to do a theme costume.  The one year we miss - because we were flying home from Portland - and the Terrills take first prize in the family theme category at the Ward Halloween Party!!

At last, some takers for the theme motif - at least takers here in Monrovia - there are plenty of takers far and wide in the Terrill Ranks.

Congrats to you all - what about next year? Maybe a multi-generational theme??

Hmm - do I detect a theme here?

Or is there a "goofy gene" somewhere in our history??

A very quiet Halloween

I've celebrated a lot of Halloween nights - but tonight might be one of the quietest on record!! Maybe we had 4 or 5 groups come to the door - I bought way too much candy too. Fortunately it's the kind I hate, so I guess I will pass it on to my students in the form of rewards and bribes!! And there just hasn't been much noise. And no rowdy teens coming to the door and saying, "Don't you teach at Clifton!?"

Also, I didn't even open one box of Halloween decor - and we have no pumpkins on our porch. We are still a construction zone, so I saw no point in adding to the chaos!

As a child, Halloween was a big deal. At least to us kids. The costumes certainly were not a big deal. Girls were gypsies and boys were hobos. It was just the idea of having all those treats at our disposal - and the general excitement and fun.

Hope your Halloween night was just what you wanted it to be! I got some laundry done, bills paid, and a blog posted!

Halloween Happenings in Monrovia!!

It was the Halloween celebration at Clifton today - I broke down and wore a Halloween tee shirt, but I couldn't find my pumpkin earrings!! I may have tossed them in a fit of organization last year!! And then it was the Ward Halloween Party tonight. Hannah got in at around 2 and got to Monrovia around 5 or so. Her old roomie and friend Katie brought her out here - thanks Katie!! I thought she'd have jet-lag, but she wanted to go to the ward party, so we went. She enjoyed seeing ward members and eating the excellent taco dinner that was provided. Sure beats the corn dogs of yesteryear that used to be standard ward Halloween party fare!!

Harry W. is not pouting - this is his Ninja face! He and Porter got the Super Hero Award in the costume contest!!

Robbie Smith and his girlfriend got the Best Couple Award. I suspect she was supposed to a vampire or some other Gothic character, but I thought she looked like Scarlett O'Hara in her widows' weeds!! Loved it!

Katie C. has been at her folks for a couple of weeks while her husband was out of town, and I said, "I'll bet the Cornwalls will do something with Katie and her kids!" And they did - they were the Incredibles - very cool!!
And Hannah loved catching up with Katie. (This must be Katie Night!!)

Dawn started making Eve's paper doll costume around 4 this afternoon - isn't it cute?? And Kat and Tyler are with her - they got the Cute Couple Award - 1-fish, 2-fish, red-fish, blue-fish - very clever!!

Miss Isla enjoyed the trappings, and had a cute hat to go with her clown costume - but she refused to wear it! She even refused to stand in the photo!! Oh well, everyone had a great time - and that's what it's all about anyway!!

(Dad is still at work - what's new?)

"Nevermore!!" (Quoth the Raven!!)

I don't usually do much for Halloween anymore - the lack of small children in the home seems to dictate that. I couldn't even find my witch hat to wear to school on Friday!! And I seem to have misplaced my spook earrings.

But Marcie came to my room Friday to borrow my skull candelabra - it was left in Room 5 years ago - and when I was put in Room 5, I appropriated it for my own. It doesn't do much except serve as a prop for Marcie, but it's a handy prop indeed for her as she does her Edgar Allen Poe impersonation, reading "The Raven."

A little island of culture for CMS!!

Hallowen in Days of Yore

I wish there had been a tendency to take photographs when I was a kid. I had a couple of killer costumes that I wore for many years. They did not seem "killer" at the time, but if we'd been the kind of family that kept track of such things, they would be vintage and valuable at this point in time. One year I was Minnie Mouse - imagine a dime-store Minnie Mouse costume from 1953 - think what it could fetch on eBay!!

Other years I was a gypsy - and the old costume that sat in our dress-up bin was one my mother had worn as a girl!! It was gauzy and red and blue and yellow with metallic trim on the jacket. I only regretted that there were not only no pierced ears in our household, so that I could wear large hoop earrings, there were no earrings of any sort for me to purloin!

So you will just have to take my word for it that I looked awesome!! Others in the family - including me some years - usually were hobos - eyebrow pencil whiskers and old shirts - works when you have quite a few kids in the house.

And yes, my brothers ranged far and wide trick or treating - carrying pillow cases! And my dad sorted through our loot, confiscating his faves!! I don't remember even resenting that move on his part - probably I was keen on the Jolly Ranchers of my era and didn't even like the stuff he took. Some things never change - just the brand names!

Everyone has heard the story about Bonny being Miss America one year - and being chagrined that everyone thought she was a mere princess!! ("Can't they read my glitter banner that clearly says Miss America!!" and "What princess carries red roses??")

Phoebe was one of those who loved to dig around and come up with stuff - for her and the neighbors!!

And of course the story is becoming legendary almost about the year Halloween was on a Sunday - the kids did not go trick or treating - but we did dress up and pass treats out from our door. I don't really remember the other Sunday years - it's obviously happened more than once.

But here's the shot that started this whole post - found this in some stuff at my mom's house this summer. Harry, Damond and Reggie at a ward Halloween party - I think they went with us often - you can tell it's the ward by the post they are posing next to.

It must be 6th grade - because I remember Harry being at Clifton when he wanted to be Harpo Marx. We'd exposed Bonny and Harry to the Marx Brothers, and Harry was hooked. He had the whole costume put together except for the hair. I thought his own hair was wild and curly enough by itself, but he was not satisfied. We went hunting - and found this wig - which still gets packed away each year with the Halloween stuff - at K Mart - and Harry willingly parted with $15 of his own to pay for it - since I said no way was I going to spend that much!

He wore the costume for several years in a row - always made a big hit - won him a prize or two. I wonder if anyone would recognize it now? (anyone under 35 that is!!)

I am loaded for the trick or treaters who will probably not show up - last year there were 2! But hope does spring eternal!!

Happy All Hallow's Eve to one and all. Maybe I will sit in front of the computer and watch The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on YouTube!! (At least it's short enough that Dad and I won't fall asleep watching it! - and thanks for the reminder about it Eliza!!)

Coolest Costume I've Seen , So Far

Bonus points if you guess who she's dressed up as........

Halloween Happenings at the Lemon Building!!

Dad brought a big box of stuff home from the shop - and we dug through it and came up with some costumes - more than I usually do, I will say that. Dad commented that everyone asked who he was!! ("Can't you just dress up?" Dad asked, "Does there have to be a theme or a movie or a T.V. show?")

Mostly he does something that involves his "teeth!" I wore a tag that said, "Hi, I'm Carpenterita" and the other tag said, "If you build it, they will come." Seemed to satisfy everyone. (And I think some people just liked my hair!!)

Angela Larson - nice and ghoulish!!

Roseann G. - part of Karate Kid. I saw the movie - but it was a long time ago - so I didn't remember the skeleton part.

This part looked more familiar.

This was my favorite part!

The Magnussons - as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!"

The Cornwalls were Robin Hood and Friar Tuck - or is it Friar John? Sarah was Maid Marian - but she wasn't at the table when I came by!! Sue is noising around that this may have been the grand finale - somehow I don't see that happening - I told her she could now mine the annals of great historical couples - and the possibilities there were endless! (I keep trying to get Dad to go for that angle, but he thinks you need to just look scary or goofy or it's not Halloween!)

The Dodds were flowers - and Lydia and Audrey were bees. So was Miles, be he was off celebrating with the other kids.

Marissa and Brenda Carlson did the face painting honors - always popular.

Eve got a prize - prettiest I think. I got one too - for "Dirtiest Handyman!!" (They were just trying to get rid of candy bars when they called that one! )

Porter and Harry were loving all the fun stuff to do.

Especially the Trunk or Treating.

Karan joined us again - as a cat - when asked where her tail was, she replied that she was a Manx!

We still have to get through Halloween at school on Friday - I plan to do a little Edgar Allen Poe - I'll let you know how it goes.

And Saturday is the real deal - but we never get trick or treaters - although with Ali up the street, we may at least get 2!