Climb Aboard the Creepy Train
October seems to have decided to blow by at the speed of light. (It could stand to hurry up a wee bit more, btw, because any and all election mentions make my head explode at this point.) I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that if I wanted to finish with the Halloween decorations before Christmas, I needed to get on it. So, Alexis and I ventured into the yard to work on the last few decorations for the yard.
I've mentioned that Alexis is a WUSS and is scared of all scary Halloween stuff, and I had thought about toning it down this year. Then I thought again and figured she could either get on board the Creepy Train or just hide in her room until November. The Creepy Train ain't stopping. So, I pulled out my favorite decorations, the ghost lanterns that I like to hang in our big Oak tree.
Alexis was not a fan of the ghost lanterns. At all. As soon as I lifted one out of the plastic tub, she started whining and whimpering and complaining, "I no like goats, Momma."
I wanted to reply, "I no like wussy chicks and they are ghosts, not goats." I didn't, though. I just ignored her and kept on putting up the ghost. Then another ghost, then another ghost.
Alexis backed further and further away, continually saying, "Put dem away, Momma!"
I ignored her. The Creepy Train doesn't stop for wusses.
Finally came the big payoff. I carefully led the extension cord through the yard and plugged in the entire ghost colony with a flourish. "Taa daa!" I said.
Alexis looked at the ghosts. Alexis looked at me. Alexis looked at the ghosts. Alexis looked at me.
Suddenly, she took off running, fast as she could. She ran and ran and ran, not once looking back.
She grabbed hold of the first ghost she could reach and yelled, "Ook, Momma! Pretty lights!"
Uh huh. This kid is gonna LOVE living here in a few weeks when the Light the Place Up Like a Griswold Train starts rolls through.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Reader Comments (33)
I cannot go to a single store that has Halloween decorations, Joey is scared to death. He's five. He is a 50 pound WUSS!
Excellent stuff! I have these two crows that I was lucky to find at WalMart. They're amazing. I have them on my porch, they freak everyone, even adults. I love your skeleton!
I gave you an award :)
http://crazyadventuresinparenting.blogspot.com/2008/10/award-time.html
We were at a school Halloween carnival tonight and my daughter wouldn't go near some of the activities b/c of the scary costumes!
*snort*
Those ghost lights are hawt. I have a fantasy of having an actual yard where I can be tacky as hell and put all sorts of tackery all up in there. I can't wait.
I also can't wait to see what your tripped out yard looks like at Christmas. It's going to be hawt.
Eh, she was just telling you to put them away cause she knows better. You just don't decorate a yard with things that DON"T light up.
That must be why it's all good now :-)
And I swear, we're gonna make a detour through Pittsburgh in late December - just to check out this year's display!
The only thing I ever decorated with for Halloween was a jack-o-lantern cut out of a pumpkin. My kids always looked forward to the pumpkin carving day.
I can't WAIT to see your Christmas display!
How is it that the pretty lights were outshined by a fun owl shirt? Darn it, this clothing industry is taking over my life. I've been looking for a good pattern.
I love them! If I did that I think my neighbours would have me committed. Damn Australia and their no Halloween-ness.
Aww I hope she comes around to the Halloween decorations.
Julia, doesn't seems to be phased at all by halloween. we will see what happens come 10/31....
Angie :-)
I just went and read your light posts from last year. All the sudden I am in the Christmas spirit. I can't wait this year.
Dude, your goat lights rock!!!
We usually go all out decorating, but with a husband in a cast and me preggos, not much is happening sadly.
Her head is going to pop off when she sees all the lights you put on the tree!
Great photos of the Goat Lights! I am going to think of goats everytime I see a ghost now!
No room for wusses on Halloween! ;) Thankfully I think you've cured her. :)
I LOVE those decorations! Awesome!
Oh my god, those ghosts are awesome! I'm often not a huge fan of lots of decorations--but those are GREAT. Totally not cheesy or tacky.
I can't wait to see what you do for Christmas :)
wow. just wow.
i must not have been reading you last year -- i just went back and checked out the trees and the lights and the ... and the ... and the everything.
you are amazing. (and a little scary)
I love the decorations, especially the ghosts! I'm going to have to find some like that.
Glad she is getting on board. Apparently, you just need to light up the spooky stuff, and she'll be okay.
@caramama--The ghost lanterns are from Wal-Mart. They are $5, but come with a tiny little square of cheesecloth that does NOT do the trick. I added two layers of super-long cheesecloth to make them much more ghosty and fun.
Speaking of creepy I think its a good time to bring out creepy dolls.
Is that skull guy near your door, because that is a good way to NOT get any trick or treaters!
My youngest son went Trick or Treating one year and put his hand in one of those bowls that slap you and scream to get some candy. Needless to say he wasn't expecting to get slapped or screamed at and refused to go anywhere else that year. He was a wuss, not anymore, at 19 he finally outgrew it. heh!!
You're bringing her over to the dark side!!
So far, our preparations are going slowly. All yard decorations have been done by the kids, because for some reason, while Budman wants a scary yrad, he hasn't yet gotten out there to do anything about it.
I'm about to have to get naggy, I hate when i have to get naggy...
So she likes well lit goats???
I think we need to introduce the Toddler to PacMan.
I only wish my child was afraid of Halloween decorations. Seriously. Do we have to decorated every inch of the yard?
Cute pictures too! :)
Awesome goats! Can't wait to see what the Griswold train looks like. Hmmm maybe a blogger contest? I tend to get a little crazy when the big red guy gets close!!!!
I'm with Alexis. I'm a whus. I can't even do homemade haunted houses and yet, halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I have cute haunted houses decorating my house. I kind of avoid the creepy stuff, but I sure like your goats.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE halloween! IT makes me very happy! We started our trips through haunted houses last night and as soon the chainsaw guy came running out my brave little Korbin started to cry! Being the sympathetic mom that I am I told him to suck it up because that guy didn't scare him when he was 4 so I know it isn't too scary now that he's 5. That's logical right?
Then I reminded him that if we scare the creepy people in the haunted house first then they wont scare us! So he started to growl at the people before they could spook him.
No kid of mine is gonna chicken out of haunted houses! No way!
What happens when I am the one who is scared of your stuff? And, my toddler is scared of the display at Target - oh and Bigfoot for some reason.
That rocks. My husband would beam.
Our boys had to get over that fear of the spookies early on, too. I counted the number of plastic bins with Halloween vs Christmas decorations the other day. Halloween wins with 6. Christmas is a close second with 5, but that doesn't count the 3 trees. Ummm, does that make us too Griswoldish? LOL!