the day started off early with a parade- at preschool!!


here's all of audrey's class


max's class including the teacher (i left my camera in the classroom for the 600+ student parade!!) dang it!


after two parade & parties and a session of handwriting training (and a near house fire) it was on to pumpkin decorating!


and decorating


and decorating, and decorating the porch too


and more pumpkin decorating


by 5:30 outside was all set!


by 6:00 the kids were all set! yes you're right there is a third kid in with my monkeys! thats our friend abby :)


just so happy!!


just so spooky!


oh yeah the HAUL!!!!


thats the haul but i wish i had a picture of what we gave out!!!
oh my goodness!! let see i had purchased maybe 10-12 bags of candy. i also put in any goodie bagsmy kids have gotten, any candy from the parade, all the candy we purchased from hershey park ( about 5 bags). we had TONS of candy. so much, so much, any of the adults who were at my house last night can vouch, and we gave every last piece away!!!

it was all so much fun it was really a great night. it was even kind of funny peeling audrey's costume off as she was crying "no no no! no one said i had to take it off" in response to me saying "come on you knew you'd have to take it off some time."

so how do we get to me in the street yelling?

well even with all outdoor lights off, at 8:50 a group of college girls bang on the for candy. shawn gives them some of the kids, quote " so they'll leave us alone". we decide to turn off all lights and go upstairs and watch tv until 10. well shawn falls sleep and i stay awake listening, listening listening as an endless parade of people go past the house, shrieking, yelling. occasionally you can make out phrases like " yo is this the place? come here!" or " look at this!" so now im awake its 11:45 the noise is unbearable, i've conviced myself vandalism is rambit. after some group shouting, and some car honking that wakes up shawn, i say "thats it i have to see what this looks like" so i go downstairs in a tee shirt & underwear turn on all my lights. what did it look like as a stood on my front porch?
it looked like the end dregs of mardi gras.
there was about 6 people running across the street in costume. a girl leaning in a car window talking to a driver- mid intersection, and then i spot a guy carry a case of beer in a neighbor's house.
i'm livid, barely thinking but it runs through my head that we the neighbors are the first defense according to police and we must make the first step, and ask the offending neighbor to be quiet, amlost simulateously, i think about our coucilman ask me a week earlier why didnt i go out and check up after the car accident i heard, and i replied i wasnt dressed, another part of me thinks its halloween maybe no one will notice that im not wearing pants or shoes.
then in a second all those thoughts run out of my head and i dash across the street. and shoulder past a couple of 20-something guys and walked in the house.
i dont even know what i said, but i started yelling at the first group of people i saw. coincidently a housemate was in that group. i know it generally went like this:

me: OMG you have to quiet this party down, i dont know if you live here you can find the people who do, but if it isnt quiet in 5 minutes i will call the cops.

guy dressed a cop: what? where did you come from? who are you?

me: OMG! im your F*ing neighbor! this is ridiculas i have young, school age children and my husband needs to leave early for travel. its F*ing midnight.

fake cop:settle down i told the neighbors

me: you didnt tell me, and telling people doesnt mean you get to make all the noise you want all night. you have to quiet down or i'll call the cops. i'm so pissed, none of us can get any sleep, look at this i walked over in my underwear and barefeet.

super tall drunk girl : OMG she did!!! look at that!!

me: please just quiet down - i dont want to call anyone i want to sleep.
and i turn to leave (and im completely shaking !!!!)

fake cop: no no no wait---

now im outside on the side walk and he grabs my hand (certain way to PO me off)

fake cop: listen- i dont know how you are,

me: im catherine- i live there-->

fake cop: im jared, you know i just want you to listen. we're not bad guys, we're not students we're just 5 guys guys, i'm 25 i have job we all have jobs. we've never had a party before, its halloween and we're having fun. and i told X,Y,Z.

me: listen im freezing out here, please just keep it down

as i leave i heard him say 'we have keep it down' and 'keep the door closed' but i also heard alot of people laughing.
but it was pretty quiet after that.
i am considering leaving a note saying thanks for keeping it quiet afterward.