Another one "In the Bag"

[bydand]

Well yet another Halloween has come and gone. Looking at The Ruffians tonight I was reminded that I only have a few more years of going out with them. I was heartened to see a LOT of teenagers dressed up and out trick-or-treating tonight. When I say teens, I mean 15,16,17 year-olds dressed to the hilt and having a ball with their friends, and being very polite and respectful of the little people around as well. No bad language (except for my 4 year old who shouted "Oh S***" when he dropped his bag of candy in the roadway . I am going to miss walking the neighborhoods with an assortment of characters. Tonight I was blessed to be surrounded by: A cow (4 year old), A Jedi (6 year old), a Spawn Bag (7 year old), and Al Capone (9 year old). For you non-fishermen in the crowd, a spawn bag is a small nylon net bag with some cured (or raw) fish eggs tied into a ball, and attached to your small hook. Don't ask why he wanted to be a spawn bag, I didn't even want to know myself.

I am going to miss these times when it is just fun for them and totally geared towards them. I am going to miss helping to carry the bags when they are just "too heavy Dad" and hoisting the littlest one up the last block home because his legs are tired.

For you parents out there with little ones. What did your little ones go as, and what are you going to miss when it isn't "cool" to have Mom or Dad around when they go. For you with older kids, what part of this time do you still miss?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hey Scott,

We had a great time tonight trick or treating until the rain started. Fortunately for us it was at the end of the route and the boy's had lot's of candy and big smiles. Definately treasure and enjoy these moments as we both know that they will not be here forever.

 

[terryl965]

Well yet another Halloween has come and gone. Looking at The Ruffians tonight I was reminded that I only have a few more years of going out with them. I was heartened to see a LOT of teenagers dressed up and out trick-or-treating tonight. When I say teens, I mean 15,16,17 year-olds dressed to the hilt and having a ball with their friends, and being very polite and respectful of the little people around as well. No bad language (except for my 4 year old who shouted "Oh S***" when he dropped his bag of candy in the roadway . I am going to miss walking the neighborhoods with an assortment of characters. Tonight I was blessed to be surrounded by: A cow (4 year old), A Jedi (6 year old), a Spawn Bag (7 year old), and Al Capone (9 year old). For you non-fishermen in the crowd, a spawn bag is a small nylon net bag with some cured (or raw) fish eggs tied into a ball, and attached to your small hook. Don't ask why he wanted to be a spawn bag, I didn't even want to know myself.

I am going to miss these times when it is just fun for them and totally geared towards them. I am going to miss helping to carry the bags when they are just "too heavy Dad" and hoisting the littlest one up the last block home because his legs are tired.

For you parents out there with little ones. What did your little ones go as, and what are you going to miss when it isn't "cool" to have Mom or Dad around when they go. For you with older kids, what part of this time do you still miss?

I'm with you jsut a couple of more year and it is all over until the grand kids.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

One of mine went as a Ninja and the other was a Knight character
from books he is currently reading. Here is a photo.

 

[terryl965]

Great pics Brian

 

[Drac]

We had a pretty good turnout...I remember the Halloweens from my past when it was warm outside and every house on every street was lit..Memories of a better time...

 

[bydand]

Yeah here's a quick photo of The Ruffians. Nothing too fancy, but they liked them. Had a tough time with how to make a kid sized spawn bag though.

 

[bydand]

We only got about 25 kids this year, but our street is a short 1 block long and off the main drag so we never get too many. 1 street over though and they get between 250 and 300 kids every Halloween. Still a lot like I remember Halloweens as a kid back in Michigan (except we are not climbing snow banks now.)

 

[bydand]

One of mine went as a Ninja and the other was a Knight character
from books he is currently reading. Here is a photo.

Looks as though they bath have Dad's attraction to blades though.

Looks like they were having a great time in Alma tonight. At least the rain held off here. First time in years we haven't gotten wet Trick-or-treating. Here or West Michigan.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Glad you had a good time.

I did not.

I gave away two or three candies per person and I still have multiple bowls left. I only went through one small bowl. I only had a few trick or treaters. It makes me wonder why? I talked to a friend who came over to train and he said there were news spots about the number of parties this year the expect down numbers for kids out.

Did others see the same thing?

 

[crushing]

Nice pics guys!

A spawn bag? LOL!!!!!

I don't mind seeing teens out having fun for Halloween and trick-or-treating either. There are MUCH worse things they could be doing. Last year a cranky old man up the street was kind of nasty to my 11 year old daughter, saying she was too old to be trick-or-treating. I wish he could feel what I felt when I saw her face after his comment. I didn't confront him about it, but as we moved on I told her not to worry about that old man and to have fun.

My teen son didn't mind the teen girls trick-or-treating either, as he volunteered to hand out the candy! I gotta keep an eye on that boy!

 

[Kacey]

I live on a quiet street that's only a block long - the most kids I've ever gotten was 10 or 12. I didn't have any tonight (that I know of) because I was at TKD, working out; I only get to work out with my instructor once a week, and since he held class, I was there!

 

[Cruentus]

Me being the crazy Neighbor who does combatives and shooting in the yard + being out here in the country with acres between houses = no trick-or-treaters at all for me this year!

Oh well. I know all my Neighbors and they are cool with me and my craziness , but all their kids are grown up past trick-or-treating age.

When I did live in a suburb, one of the things I really looked forward too was trick-or-treaters. Ah well, maybe someday if I get kids of my own.

 

[kaizasosei]

i had a great time just reading your posts.
i miss halloween. where i'm at now in europe, halloween is not really as big as it is in canada where i loved that time of year. i would eagerly await halloween, practically counting the days, almost more excited that christmas. i would make lists of all the bottle rockets, mightymights, screecheroos that would need to get picked up from the states.
oh how i enjoyed the yearly rampage!!- and the candy!! even when we were well into our teens, we still managed to score tons of candy-

 

[stone_dragone]

I know my son had a great time once he figured out the process! I can honestly estimate that he brought home about 1/2 his weight in candy...but he's not even 30 lbs yet, so its good...sorta.

He went as Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H*...believe it or not the kid loves the show...but I'm having trouble shrinking the pic.

 

[bydand]

I know my son had a great time once he figured out the process! I can honestly estimate that he brought home about 1/2 his weight in candy...but he's not even 30 lbs yet, so its good...sorta.

He went as Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H*...believe it or not the kid loves the show...but I'm having trouble shrinking the pic.

As much as I hate Microsoft, they have a great little tool that is a freebie. It is part of their "Power toys" it is called image resizer. It attaches itself to the menu that comes up when you right click on a photo. Click resize photo and then pick what size you want it to be. Shrinks them down and makes a new file so it doesn't even change your original. It is about 2/3 of the way down on the right hand side of the page. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx