Halloween, Or Groundhog's Day?

Last November I posted about our most unusual Halloween that was postponed and extended due to an unprecedented Nor'easter that hit just days before Halloween, knocking out power and toppling trees all over the surrounding area.  It was a completely bizarre, once in a lifetime event...so we thought...until it happened again this year!  About 10 days before Halloween I started hearing reports that a massive hurricane was headed out way, and rather than heading out to sea, as they normally do once they get this far north, it was going to take a left hand turn and smack right into us again.  The timing?  Two days before Halloween.  How could this possibly happen again?? 

After two years in a row, the kids are going to think carving pumpkins is just one of the ways we prepare for big storms!

Totally icky - Zach's in HEAVEN!!

Zach's seeds had sprouted inside his pumpkin!

 

Lexi loves scooping the seeds!

 Sure enough, as the days passed the path become more and more clear, and while (luckily for us) the direct impact of the storm was further south, the impact was, once again, hard enough to cause another postponed Halloween.  The storm devastated many parts of New York and New Jersey, which makes me feel incredibly lucky that all of our trees remained standing, and we only lost power for four hours.  I really thought we were spared, but driving around the next day, seeing trees completely toppled, roots in the air, and all of the debris left from the whipping winds was really surreal. 

We are all safe and sound, and no damage to our home, so the big question became, "What about trick or treating?!?!"  North Andover postponed from Wednesday to Saturday, but Ahren and I would be at a wedding on Saturday night and felt terrible about missing it, even though Gigi and Poppy had offered to take the kids.  Luckily, our great friends who live in Andover were happy when we invited ourselves to their neighborhood to trick or treat there.

My little jazz dancer, and our very own super hero!

The great neighborhood that adopted us for the evening.

I was so glad that we went!  The neighborhood was small and quiet, and Lexi and Zach were, for the first time, at an age where they really loved trick or treating!  Lexi was timid at first, but after about three houses she was running ahead to the next house, only slowing down when we asked her to wait for her little brother.  She was polite, told people what her costume was, thanked them for the candy, and wasn't even scared at the scary houses!  Ahren and I were able to stroll along, happily watching the kids have a blast.  Zachary, of course, was his usual charismatic self.  After one house he returned to the street and told me, "I put on my eyebrows for her!" (he likes to lift and lower his eyebrows as a way of greeting people, especially women, these days.  He knows he gets a big reaction out of it every time).  At another house he asked the woman if she would like to hear a song, and went on to sing, "Trick or treat.  Smell my feet.  Give me something good to eat.  If you don't, I don't care.  I'll pull down your underwear."  !!!  Luckily she was amused and not appalled. 

All in all it was great fun, and I'm even a little grateful to Hurricane Sandy for "forcing" us to Andover for trick or treating.  It was a wonderful night!  And tomorrow, the kids get to do it all over again!  What fun!