"Up" and Down

Peacock, Bunny and Spiderman ready for the Trunk-or-Treat party

Nine Halloweens together and Conway has never dressed up.  Well, I take it back.  Every year he says he IS dressed up, as Jonny--his identical twin brother.  Lame.

Nice costume Con, or wait, is that Jon?

Well this year I had a plan.  A theme!  For our church's trunk-or-treat party, we've always just decorated our trunk with pumpkins.  This year I was ready for something a little more fun. So I planned. And prepared. And planned some more.

Last year's trunk 'o pumpkins

I was going for a Disney's "Up" theme.  I would draw a picture of the Up house on a large cardboard poster, pillow stuffing would fill the trunk as clouds, we'd fasten balloons to the chimney and Conway and I would dress up as Carl Fredricksen and Russell.  I found a tweed jacket at Goodwill, I fashioned an "Ellie badge" out of a bottle cap, I sewed a bow tie, a scout sash and a bandana.  I borrowed a cane complete with tennis ball from a friend. . .

We were set! Conway even agreed (albeit grumbling all the while about me owing him big time).

Now I know what you're wondering--so where are all the photos?  Well, I told you about Up.  Now let me explain Down.

We got to the church late -- costumes take time people!  I was rushing to get everything put together for our theme: I spread the pillow stuffing all over the trunk; I secured the cardboard house into the clouds; then I attached the balloons to the chimney of the house. And then somehow I bumped the balloons.  And the balloons flew away.  And I was sad.

Carl Fredricksen to the rescue!  "I'll just run back to the party store for more balloons," he said. (Because honestly, what's an Up theme without balloons?).  He closed the trunk and made to leave.  But wait.  In my haste to get our trunk decorated I put the car keys in the trunk. And our trunk can only be opened with the keys.

At this point I pretty much ditched my Russell costume and spent the majority of the night dressed as Frowny Face Freda.

Meanwhile, Conway had to climb through that tiny opening in the backseat of the car, using his Blackberry as a flashlight, searching for the keys through piles and piles of pillow stuffing, wearing a heavy tweed jacket that (in his words) "an old man probably died in not very long ago."

But the evening wasn't a total loss.  My kids had a blast collecting dangerous amounts of candy, the youth from church actually joined me in a Thriller flash mob (I was slightly afraid they might leave me dancing a solo),  Conway finally found the car keys, and the tsunami warning that caused the party to end early didn't result in a tsunami. We're safe, dry, and now I have a theme--complete with costumes--all set for the YW New Beginnings party in January.  "It's 'Up' to you to make it a great year!"?
And maybe.  Just maybe we'll try again next Halloween.

Thriller Flash Mob - I taught the youth the Thriller dance at mutual a few days before the party. When the song came on I started dancing and to my delight (and surprise) the YM and YW joined me. 

Pretty Peacock strikes a pose while Spiderman tries to shoot his web

Little Lennon sporting the adorable bunny costume crocheted by our sweet neighbor

This is the house that Marley and I colored which ended up stuck inside the trunk next to the keys which were buried in the clouds which Conway had to find nearly losing his mind while I frowned all sad but danced which was rad
when the tsunami alert caused us to leave the church where our car had been parked and left in the dark with Conway inside for most of the night looking for the keys which were lost in the clouds next to the house that Marley and I built.