Halloween 2020

Halloween 2020 was… spooky. Last year was a tough one to beat. We went as Marvel, mostly Guardians of the Galaxy.

The occasion was spent surrounded by thousands of our favorite Gig Harborites in the “roads-closed” downtown.

Each year the streets fill with Halloween revelers of all kinds… it’s a great community event.

We finished last year at 7 Seas, enjoying beer and apple juice (respectively) and not even giving a second thought to what this year would bring.

I’m sure we thought we would be back in the same place, same time, next year. Little did we know we were about to be broadsided by a 2020 that just ran a stop sign.

Like the adage goes: “we make plans and God laughs…” 2020 has been a great teacher of that truth. Although I don’t think God’s really laughing at this year.

Anyway, as each holiday has rolled around, and the normal activities are on hold, we have tried to make special days fun for the kids.

Halloween was no exception. Lillian asked for us to decorate so they could do some spooky “stay at home” trick or treating, as our neighborhood doesn’t lend itself to going door to door anyway.

Since moving here we have had a grand total of zero trick or treaters. Lillian didn’t want to know what our costumes would be (mine especially) but she spent the days leading up to Halloween convincing (and tormenting) Wyatt, that I was going to be a ballerina princess, and perform a short ballet number for everyone.

This was quite upsetting and every time it was mentioned Wyatt begged us to relent. When the day finally came, we started with pumpkin carving.

Now, having to carve 6-8 pumpkins is no joke, and every year we get a little better at it. This year the whole affair took place outside, on a large sheet of plastic.

I broke out the Ryobi cordless skill saw and drill, affixed with the kitchen blender attachment… both make opening and cleaning a snap.

Each kid picked out their own stencil, with the caveat that THEY have to be the ones to carve it because DAMMIT IM NOT CARVING EVERYONES PUMPKINS THIS YEAR!

After I finished carving everyones pumpkins, (not really… ok… three)

I set up a little display for the pumpkins we grew in our gardens (there were a lot) and the pumpkins we bought to carve.

Turned out nice, especially since we didn’t make it to the pumpkin patch, for the first time in ten plus years… time just, “got away” as they say.

Elle and I spent a bit decorating while Tara made delicious chili and ran some errands.

When she got home it was Halloween time. The kids got their costumes out that they have been dying to try…

Lil and Tara were adorable cats.

Elle was a farmer.

Caroline was a cowgirl on an inflatable horse.

Wyatt was a picachu.

Owen rode an inflatable dinosaur,

and Luke was America’s favorite second responder… a fireman.

We started by hiding some candy throughout the yard, and Tara led the kids out in a group.

Now, leading up to Halloween I’ve been telling Tara away from the kids (but within earshot), that I’ve been hearing a large animal in the yard.

So when they finally made it to the play set, a giant silverback gorilla rushed at them in attack mode.

The kids screamed, I chased the one I could see running (Lillian) and apparently Luke followed me in hot pursuit, like the little warrior he is, swinging his fire hose at me like a weapon. As I ran by the dolly I accidentally knocked it over and it landed on him… dad fail.

After some reassurance that I wasn’t a real gorilla, and that I’ll never take him out with an appliance dolly again, we took some pics and continued our day.

Next Tara distracted the kids while I went inside for a wardrobe change to be a mummy, waiting behind the door to scare them when they grabbed candy from the basket… again, only Luke ran away terrified… I hope we haven’t scarred him too bad…

after some yummy dinner (chili for us and mummy dogs for the kids) we lit the pumpkins

and accepted candy thrown over the fence from our great next door neighbors.

All in all, it was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the PNW…but don’t let anyone in on our secret…

let them think it’s rainy and miserable all the time. Anyway, while different, today’s “special day” turned out to be one of our favorites.

Staying home we were treated to many things we would have missed had we been gone looking for parking and mingling with Gig Harbor…. like the eagles returning to rebuild their nest… or the beautiful lagoon behind us teeming with sea life.

Finally we ended the day with a full blue moon and Mars rising over the brackish Burley Lagoon. Spent with time together, in Gods beautifully perfect creation. Grateful for this family I’ve been blessed with and this year of pause.