Cloaking Around on Halloween

OK - so I'm sitting here with friends. What to blog about?

I've no idea. My Friend with Dreadlocks and a new Tattoo (otherwise known as MFDNT or Mother of Dorothy of Kansas) is on the phone. She is here for co-op, which is casual today because it is HALLOWEEN and that makes us all a little crazy and anxious and over-excited. Anyway, so she is on the phone, trying to talk to me and to whoever she is talking on the phone with, (she has just informed me it is her mother calling to see when Dorothy will be by to trick or treat) simultaneously. She just said, "That sounds like a good plan." And now, "Are you blogging about me? What are you writing about? You cloak-wearing-weird-eyed blogging mamacita...."

Well, she is still talking but it is too fast for me to type. And she's not really saying anything all that interesting. That's because she isn't wearing a cloak. Did I mention that I have a new cloak? I am also on steroids, and that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm wearing a cloak and everything to do with the fact that I can't stay on topic. I am also prone to fits of rage. The steroids are for my allergies. Long story. And boring. Even with a cloak involved.

I love cloaks. People should wear cloaks all year long. They are mysterious and they billow and flow and trail and.....you know how Darth Vador looks when he's walking with his entourage and his cloak flowing behind him? I look that cool. Like Darth Vador. Yeah. Only my cloak is red velvet. Red Velvet, I say! Why, why, why didn't I get one of these sooner? Truly. I look really neat. Major understatement. I have been wearing my cloak since I got it. If you feel that your life is becoming a tad monotonous and you need to add some spice - I highly recommend that you purchase a cloak! I am not kidding. It makes unloading the dryer a dramatic affair. I got my cloak at Target. But that was after I saw one in a Honest-to-God Wiccan catalog that came in the mail. How did I get on that mailing list, you ask? I have no idea. I think I am on a lot of lists, not all of them friendly. Back to the witchy catalog - we're talking lots of cool stuff in it! I am so not kidding! And then when I saw a cheapo knock-off cloak at Target, how could I resist? So in about an hour I shall head out with my crew to go trick-or-treating in my groovy new cloak. In tow I shall have 1 zombie, 1 demon, 1 Spiderman, and 1 Sleeping Beauty. Ellie is going to the movies with friends. First time - that one. I shall not be sad, however. You cannot be sad while wearing a cloak. You can just be mysteriously sexy and awesome. Even if the child you gave birth to some sixteen years ago, and who was a little baby cow for her first Halloween, and then a wicked witch, a dinosaur, a princess, a butterfly, a clown, a pumpkin.....is not going trick-or-treating with you for the very first time. Aahhh....she used to say, "Twick o Tweet"......Okay. Maybe you can cry while wearing a cloak.

On Wednesday we went with our good friends, Wendy-Girl (as in from Peter Pan - don't know why we call her that but we do) and Kevin, and and their ninos, to see Los Lonely Boys in concert. We had such a great time! Jeff and I took Ellie and her friend, John. Here's a pic of Wendy and Me, and then John, Ellie, and Grayson at the Liberty Bar, where we ate before heading to the concert.


And here is a lousy picture of Los Lonely Boys.
Wendy-Girl and I headed off to the bano at one point during the concert and when we got to the back of the concert hall, they started playing Wendy-Girl's favorite song, so of course we had to stop and dance. And we danced really really really really well. Truly. We were awesome. An appreciative guy in a wheelchair gave us a thumbs up. We were dancing and feeling so badly for our teenagers because they couldn't see us dancing and we knew they would have been SO PROUD of us and our dancing. Dang. What is the point of taking teenagers to a concert if you cannot mortify them? Of course, they mostly avoided eye contact, even when we were sitting right next to them. They enjoyed the concert, appreciated the talent on stage, but all of them said it wasn't their kind of music. Had a great time, though! To see how we like to rock in South Texas (or Tejas as we occasionally say) go to http://www.loslonelyboys.com/ and check it out.

Well, we are off to trick-or-treat. You guys just talk amongst yourselves until we return.

We have returned! Man, I love living in a small town for things like Halloween. The kids get to walk the streets going door to door, ending up at the Halloween carnival at the town square. The carnival has games, hayrides, music, and food. Did I mention Moon Bounces? Here is our little friend, Matthew, tackling Jasper.

I have to tell a story here. You know how sometimes you feel like you are being a really lame older parent of your youngest children and then one of your older friends turns out to be lamer and you feel a lot better? Well...so I was saying how sad it is that I can remember every Halloween costume Ellie ever wore but can hardly remember any from Camille's and Jasper's toddler years. And so Matthew's mom (she knows who she is) says, "Oh yeah? You see the costume Matthew is wearing? I just bought it for $25. Then I got home and realized it is the exact same costume he wore last year." Ha! I didn't ask her if it was the same size as last year's. You don't kick a dog when its down.

Speaking of being a lame older mother of young children: when Ellie and Joel were little and we saw teenagers in truly frightening costumes I would shield their eyes and glare at the teenagers. Now I have my boys walking around in HORRIFIC costumes, making little kids cry. I figure that I was a totally obnoxious mother of pre-schoolers and now it is my turn to be a totally obnoxious mother of teenagers. I'm going for the full range here. I have lived long enough to think, "Oh for crying out loud, toughen up Cinderella."

Speaking of my little kids, at the very first house Jasper walked to, he shouted "Happy Birthday!" as he held out his bucket. He was super embarrassed because, of course, this received a lot of laughs. He meant to say, "trick-or-treat" but in his excitement just shouted out the first happy salutation that came to mind. It was awhile before he would say anything else, after that. Candy loosened him up, though.

As usual, we began our traditional evening by going across the dirt road to Great Uncle Billy's and Aunt Maxine's farm. Uncle Billy just returned home from a brief stay at the hospital. I am surprised this crew didn't land him back in there! But as you can see, he enjoyed his creepy company. (Neither Jasper's mask or Camille's wig lasted until the first piece of candy.)

Great Aunt Maxine always has something lovely to say, no matter the situation. Here she is saying, "Isn't this the happiest zombie you've ever seen?"

Cousin Joan handed out treats, even to teenagers too cool for costumes.

The next stop was in town. Here is Jules with his favorite grown-up friend, his confidante and superb reflexologist, Anne Marie.

Then we headed to my dad's and my sister's. My sister lives in an adorable old cottage in town. We left our Barack-O-Lantern at her house. We don't get any trick-or-treaters out here on the farm so we always drop off our pumpkins at her house so her trick-or-treaters can enjoy them. This year she might have gotten some "tricks" because of it, though. I haven't asked her, yet. Here is the lantern. Ellie carved it. It is monumentally unimpressive until you light it, then you can't believe it! This is the actual picture Jeff took of the jack-o-lantern.

Our last stop is our favorite haunted house. This lovely old home is always over the top at Halloween. An interesting side about this house is that many years ago, the couple who owned it swore it was haunted. Supposedly, a group of local ladies gathered for a game of bridge (my mom's bridge group) actually saw the ghost. I do not know if the current owners consider the home haunted. They sure do like Halloween, though! Here are pics of their "yard". I had to use the flash so it doesn't actually look as frightening as it was.

Well, tomorrow Ellie performs a piano piece - and then we might go to see some Dia De Las Muertas altar exhibits. Tomorrow night Ellie has some friends coming over to watch Halloween, which was what Jeff and I saw on our very first date! The other kids are going to a costume party....so we have another busy night ahead. And on Sunday we'll be hosting our second "Call for Change" party for Obama. Here are some pics of last week's party. We made calls to Indiana and North Carolina and talked to some really excited Obama supporters - signing them up to hit the sidewalks in their swing states.

Here is Janet - Super Mom. She actually managed to breastfeed, stir-fry chicken, and make calls all at the same time! She made the courageous first call, too.

Well, I shall call it a night while asking for some doggie prayers. Schnitzel is in the hospital. Things are looking rather uncertain at this point. The boys belong to her and are having a hard time sleeping without her on her pillow in their room. OK. So yes, for certain, you can cry while wearing a cloak. In case you were wondering.

Sardine Mama