Halloween 2016

Allie is a teenage mutant turtle

Lots of elaborate displays

Our group: Daniel as a Skylander, Tess is Repunzel, Maya is a pirate. Oliver went with his cousin as some kind of ghoul

Lots of displays

A nice clear night

For the last several years, Maya has been at her father's for Halloween. Finally she could be with us. Shanna's neighborhood is perfect for treat-or-treating as the houses are close together (less private lawns; more communal space) and the neighbors try to outdo each other with elaborate displays. Extra bonus: mild weather though we needed to take a break after the sun set to dump the plentiful candy out (too heavy for he kids) and get coats. The kids, I took three, were very excited and ran from house to house. They had plenty of company as the neighbors and lots of outsiders crowded the sidewalks. Some kids had elaborate costumes. My favorite were one year old twins as oompha-loopahs. Sensory overload for the kids. Maya did not want the night to end and outright refused to go home with me. I ended up having to carry her kicking and screaming to the car. To the casual onlooker and there were many, it seemed like I was kidnapping a child. She kept it up all he way home sounding a lot like she was possessed. I never saw her have such a temper tantrum. Could this be a side effect of the drug? She demanded her mother so I called Naomi to pick her up interrupting her party plans. I have to say I was not sorry to see her go though she did soften a bit and hugged me goodbye. I guess I was lucky my kids didn't have tantrums beyond the age of 2, if that. I can't remember the older kids having any at all. .

Our first neighborhood was quite hilly and the houses quite spread apart. I remember having to carry Shanna up some of the long sets of steps. The neighborhood we lived in for 32 years had much smaller lots (though still twice as big as Shanna's) and was more fun for Halloween than the first.

How many visitors did we have last night? I did decorate somewhat and there are at least 3 houses that have young ones but no one came. We have at least 2 acre lots and the houses are far from the street. No sidewalks either.

I was such a candy hound as a child. Halloween was my main opportunity to get some. I ran from house to house accumulating booty as fast as possible ditching my slow moving friends who didn't feel the need to see how much they could get. Halloween candy has zero interest for me (except maybe peanut butter cups). I do adore chocolate but the 'good' stuff. Not what the kids get. Shanna has to comb through two of her kids baskets searching for peanut products. According to tests, I have the gene for peanut allergies, though I don't seem to have it but two of the grandkids must have got that gene.

Ugh..I am so mad at myself. For 2 of the  3 days I was gone, I failed to take my drugs. What matters is the thyroid pill. I stepped on the scale this morning with great trepidation. Turns out I am at the same weight as I was a week ago which is not as bad as news as I expected. But tomorrow we leave on vacation. More challenges to my willpower.