Happy (Belated) Halloween (photo post)

As much as I love triathlon season and how good training makes me feel, and how exciting it is to race for the sheer joy of pitting myself against myself... I'm always happy when fall rolls around.

I love that the seasons are arranged, as if for my convenience, to bring me indoors just as body and spirit are starting to feel burned out on racing and training and traveling and all the details that go along with it.

I love it when training obligations transition from mandate to maintenance, and I have time to turn my attention to other interests.

Like Halloween. Which, as y'all know, I geek out over just as much as I do over triathlon.

Everyone told me I'd have to dial back my Halloween decor now that I have a kid. I told them to bite me. My kid sleeps with a stuffed vampire; he can handle a few foam latex body parts. And after some initial confusion over the severed arm, he did just fine.

It was a perfect year with perfect weather - we took Bear trick-or-treating, ran out of (14 bags) of candy and met more of our neighbors in 90 minutes than in the last 5 years. Awesome.

Bear thought Harry was there to play with.

Helping mommy decorate.

Bear assisted pumpkin carving.

Ichabod Crane was here.

Stylin' for the trick-or-treaters.

Cool shadow effects.

Welcome to our humble abode.

On the porch (what you can't see is the dozen shrunken heads, various weapons and severed limbs dangling from the ceiling).

Dinner's on.

Ingredients for the witch's stew.

This is Bob. He hangs out with us all the time.

This was Bob's buddy. We didn't catch his name. He pissed off Harry.

This is what's left of the rotten kids who tore up our Obama for President sign because we ran out of candy.

These are the fingers of the kids who tried to take more than their fair share of candy. I took them to a party for a snack.

Wonderful Husband and I got a Real Live babysitter and went to a Real Live Party!

Who needs a feather boa when you can snuggle with the real thing? (Ok, he's really a python. But he's still snuggly.)


Harry's little sister. (Yes, I am holding a real live tarantula. Yes, it took everything I had to do it. I am genuinely scared of spiders.)

I can't wait for next October!!