HAPPY HALLER-WEEN !!

Here we have a little Halloween rebel, 1958: Miss Barbara, ready to trick-or-treat with her brother Pat and the O'Brien boys from next door. How she hated those plastic masks. It didn't bother her one bit to trick-or-treat with no mask, and her raincoat covering her costume.

Two years later, my brother Pat wore this outrageous mask.

For 1960, it was pretty scary.

The rest of the story is, my mother answered the door on Halloween for several

years, wearing this mask. She'd fling the door open and scare the kids!

Halloween, 1993. Haller kids in their homemade costumes.

Mark's pirate costume was probably the only costume I ever purchased.

I ascribed to

"go find some stuff in the dress-up box."

Little Ari, two years ago, with a jack-o-lantern grin.

We were visiting a farm to pick out pumpkins.

Such fun.

Not a big fan of Halloween ... but have a good night wherever you are!

a Melmo Halloween

I've never been a big fan of Halloween. My mother influenced me greatly in this, declaring for several years running that my dad planned to be on business trips every Halloween and left her to deal with costumes and trick-or-treaters and all of it.

But it's different now that I'm a grandmother. Ari, Jenny and I made an Elmo jack-o-lantern ... the brain-child of Jenny. Not too sure 22-month-old Ari really got the idea, but she sure enjoyed messing with the red paint.

This girl adores Elmo ... "Mel-mo" that is.

Thanks for sharing Melmo-making, Ari.

Baba can't think of a better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Nope, never did care much for Halloween ... especially those masks.

Halloween revisited

Since I'm good at avoiding what I should REALLY be doing (remember Aunt Betty? See Sept. 1) ... here's another Halloween photo, circa 1993.

It illustrates how we allowed the children to express their individuality. Or was it that my brain really struggled with coordinating anything?

Hey - I actually SEWED that Daniel Boone costume ... the first and only costume I actually made ...

Happy Haller-ween!

OK, this greeting is not original. I give credit to Jill, my future daughter-in-love. Clever!

For the first time in 25 years or so, Bill and I will not be at our door to meet the trick-or-treaters. I can't say it's my favorite night of the year. In fact, I hold many unfavorable memories of: helping frantic kids figure out costumes, usually about an hour before trick-or-treating... getting a pumpkin carved, usually about an hour before trick-or-treating... trying to get four kids to eat some dinner before trick-or-treating... traipsing the neighborhood with my kids so they wouldn't get accosted or kidnapped... consoling my son Dan, who DID get accosted by older kids who stole his candy... and not having enough candy for the trick-or-treaters.

The one favorable memory is eating the kids' good candy bars while they were at school. Can you believe that? I know if you're honest, most of you moms will admit the same.

So tonight, we're going out to dinner and staying out past 8 pm when the T-or-T'ers are supposed to go home. Call me a Halloween grinch.

I did come across a 20-year-old photo the other day ... maybe I will miss Halloween just a little ... presenting Halloween 1988:



Mark, 9 months (his only costume was a baby Santa hat)
Dan, 3-yr-old cowboy...or farmer?
David the sailor, age 5