Halloween!

Well, our computer crashed the day after Halloween so we had to get a new one and start over. It has taken me a while to get the Halloween update on the blog. What a fun Halloween night...yes we had 40 twelve year olds here for Chloe's party and it was a little....wait a lot, wild. We had such a fun night!!!! We had the whole atmosphere set with a fog machine, strobe light and great music. The kids all arrived at 6:00. We ate and played a few fun games then at 7:00 they all went on a trick or treating candy scavenger hunt. I can not believe how much candy they all came home with in one hour. When they got back they dumped out all their candy on the floor so we could count and determine what team won. It was literally a mountain of candy that filled the living room. Imagine 40 bags full. I was so caught up in the counting and giving of prizes that I forgot to get a picture, I am so mad at myself because I have never seen anything like it. It was highly competitive because the prize was gift certificates for each person on the team so they were very serious.

Then came the best part of the night. As I previously mentioned our house is built where a old saw mill used to stand. Our back yard has a large pond so at about 8:30 Chris took all the kids down by the pond, we had built a large bon fire and he gathered them around and told the story of a Saw mill worker in the 1800's who was murdered and rises out of the pond every 7 years to seek revenge for the murder.
Chris and I worked for hours refining the story and the presentation. While he was telling the horrific details and scaring the living daylights out of them, I had planted things in the bushes to make noises and scare them even more. Little Elle and I went down and threw a few boulders in the pond for effect and made some eerie noises. She and I had fun. Well, he had planned it with Chloe to get the last name of one of the boys' at the party and at the end of the story he said "But don't worry, Joshua (the murdered man) only rises to get revenge on the grandchildren of his murderer. So since there is no one with the last name Crouch we don't have to worry" Well the poor kid with the name Crouch spoke up and said "Hey, my name is Crouch" then Chris screamed as loud as he could "RUN". Those 40 kids were screaming and running for the house like they were being chased by a ghost. It was sooo funny. Thomas Crouch came in the house and jumped right on the computer to see if the story was true.....darn computers, they ruin everything. It was such a fun night.

Things that drove me nuts......What is the deal with 12 yr olds all having cells phones? All Chris and I heard all night was..."Mrs Bray, I lost my cell phone can you help me find it?" "Mr. Bray, have you seen a pink Razor phone anywhere?" "Has anyone seen my cell phone?" I am serious. It was driving us crazy, at least 7 or 8 people lost, then recovered, their cell phones in the course of the night. I said "Chloe see why you don't have a cell phone, no one can keep track of them."

Things I loved.....

Seeing Chloe have so much fun with all her friends.

Hiding in the bushes with Elle, who was up way past her bed time, scaring the kids.

Trick or treating with Ava who looked like and angel and couldn't get enough candy.

Watching Olivia hang with all the older kids and hold her own.

Hearing the next day that Thomas Crouch slept with his parents that night. (at least that is what he was telling everyone)

Things that wore me out.

staying up until 1am cleaning the huge mess made by all those crazy kids. Chris and I actually enjoyed the time to visit but we were worn out by the time our heads hit the pillow. It was a great day!