Last Halloween Parade!

Thursday was an end of an era for me.

Since Kambree was little, I've dressed up and told stories for my children's class Halloween parties. Fourteen years now - I think I've only missed two years.
Each year my costume is different. Some years are better than others. I don't like traditional - I always try to spice it up a bit. I've worn pink hair, a poke-a-dot face, my old home coming dress, I even shoved a blue pompom up under my hat one year and had blue pompom hair. My most creative year was the year I was pregnant with Rylee and came as the pregnant bride of Frankenstein but most the time I am some version of a witch. I really just rummage through my costume box and try to come up with something a little different each time.
My biggest stress is finding the right story. Something Halloween-y but not to scary or morbid. (And that is hard to do....trust me!) Regardless of my new story, I always end with my traditional "Blood Bones & Dirty Diapers" story and it always makes the kids groan and laugh. (Scary with a silly ending.)
This year I had at least 5 kids and a couple mom's ask if I was going to tell stories again - when I nodded in the affirmative - I got a squeal, a "cool" and a "your the best story teller" from the kids. Warmed my heart.
I don't know that I'm the BEST story teller but I do do voices. They're not always consistent. Sometimes my English accent starts sounding a little Irish and my Bronx brogue merges into an Italian immigrant but kids are very forgiving and/or don't seem to notice. (I also have a FABULOUS Russian accent - thanks to the in home tutoring and Ukraine experience we have these past few years.)
But, this is my last year.

My baby is in 6th grade and it would be so not cool to have your mom dress as a witch and come tell stories in Junior High.

So, I guess I'll be hanging up my witch hat.
Until.....I have grand babies!

Here is this years outfit - my make-up's not the best because Ry's hair took way more time than I anticipated and I just had to hurry!

Yes. That is a REAL frog person - thanks to Amy. Her parents brought it to her from the Philippines. (It even has a zipper on the underside and you can actually carry a lipstick or a pack of gum in it. But not a cell phone. I tried.)

James won't miss it. He really doesn't find my witch outfits too appealing. He tries to be supportive of my crazy need to dress up and act silly but he doesn't get it. 

He especially didn't like the wart this year.

Rylee was Medusa!

Her hair was the bomb!

TWELVE snakes were intertwined in multiple buns. (Hence the reason we were running so late!)

Why in the world we had the parade on the 27th when Halloween isn't until tomorrow is beyond me. But it's done. 

Perhaps the reason I like being a witch so much is because my mother use to call me "Wendy The Witch That Washes Her Hair In The Waters of Whohoo."? No idea where that came from. I'm not sure she even knows. 

But for whatever twisted, crazy, psychotic reason I like to dress as a witch - I will miss it.