Party, party, party!

I told you I'd post about the Cohagen School Halloween Party, and so I will...

One thing you need to know, before I get rolling, here, is that our new teacher Mrs. Carroll came from a school system where the kids and teachers weren't allowed to dress up in costume for Halloween.  She was SO tickled, to see all the kids in their various costumes that we could've just dressed 'em up and walked them around the gym, and it would've been a big deal for her. 

Really, that's pretty much all the kids needed, too. 

Here they are, in all their glory, completely unimpressed with the idea of a group picture. 

This one makes me smile, because I think only one child is actually looking at the camera, and the cow is making a break for it! Also, please note Batman.  Batman KILLS me.  He's the most cherubic little super-hero, ever.  I see that we're missing the little devil, too....you'll catch her later in the post. 

The mummy contest, in which one child is the mummy and the other kids on the team attempt to swath him/her in cheap, one-ply toilet paper as fast and completely as possible.  This game is a particular favorite, because the kids can't believe their good fortune in being able to totally WASTE an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper!  And no one yells at them!  In fact, parents are cheering.  This is craziness...
(See the pumpkin in the background, with a ramp?  That was for Pumpkin Mini-Golf.  Traci made a hole-in-one, lefthandedly.  This is a huge accomplishment and needs to be acknowledged in a public forum.  Please congratulate her if you see her out and about....and no, she didn't get a big old prize for it, nor did she make a little kid cry....)

I don't think they actually WON the mummy contest, but they did get points for having a gen-u-ine Egyptian princess on their team.
The mummy does look a little worse for wear, but she recovered nicely and went on to play...

...Smoosh the Wart on the Witch.

(I was NOT the witch.  I painted the witch.  Let's just get that straight here and now.)

Here's Traci, giving each little contestant their multi-colored wart and instructing them carefully on the goal of the game. 

Ah, THERE'S the little devil!  I can't think of a more unlikely costume for this particular child, but she was so darned cute!  The "big kids" (ages 7-8), waiting their turn at the witch game....

We think he MAY have cheated. 

Here's the rogue cow, corralled for a couple minutes.  Honestly, I couldn't look at this baby without laughing!  Even in this picture, you can see the bright little eyes and ambition; my Gramps would've said, "She's a caution..."  and in a good way. 

FOOD!  You can't see, but there's another table with more food.  One thing about Cohagen: everyone feels very strongly about making sure people at a potluck get fed, and fed WELL.  We're talking fried chicken, pickles and cream cheese rolled up in ham, gooey butter cakes, homemade sugar cookies, brownies, and more.  Yum!

Jack o'lanterns!

I'd think one could tell by the name tacked on the punkins, but did you know Halloween basically started in Ireland? A holiday full of teasing/pranks, candy and big stories....yeah, that would be Celtic, alright.

(I like the fangs, on the big one.)

The crazed cat, Guns Up Jack (Sparrow) o'lantern, and friends, looking zany and completely at ease!

Nothing but bones and grins...I think Weight Watchers is working, don't you? 

And Mrs. Carroll sent home goody bags full of TERRIBLE, WICKED junk to make a parent want to weep.

Things like fake, rubber witch's fingers that Angus promptly discovered would keep his REAL fingers clean when he picked his nose, eliminating that pesky "Gross! Go wash your hands!" admonition.

I was trying to come up with some sort of retribution, but then realized that she gets the kids on Tuesday.  You know.  The kids with the sugar hangovers from the night before...

It goes around, it comes around...