Halloween 2009

Halloween is almost here. This is a big deal in my family. We started having a haunted house a few years ago and it was a HUGE hit with all the neighborhood kids ( and their parents).
My brother, Steven started the idea at his own house many years ago and was sorley disappointed with the success of the project. He lives on a secluded street that does not recieve a lot of Trick-or-Treaters. He went to great lengths to scare the little goblins only to have no little goblins show up.
So the idea came about after our first Halloweeen in our house,When we revealed that we had had over 100 Trick-or-Treaters. The following July, ( just after the big 4th of July celabration which I will touch on in later blogs) plans began for the haunted house. We began imagining all sorts of themes and methods to realize the project. Flying ghosts and vampires, elaborate scenes of macabre mellee gave way to a much simpler reality. A black plastic maze wound it's way thru the garage with plenty of shocks and frights along the way. It was simple and cheap. But the resulting screams and laughter were pricless. The first year we had around 200 visitors come thru. All recieved a candy reward for their bravery.
During the first year my brother and my husband, Randy, frightened a little girl so badly that she became paralyzed with fright and her mother had to go in after her. After the family left and it slowed down a bit, the two of them emerged laughing so hard about having scared the pee out of that little girl that tears were streaming down their faces. I had to tell them that it was disturbing that they would get so much glee out of scaring a 5 year old. Admittedly, scaring little kids was the whole idea behind a Halloween haunted house.
The second year was equally successful.
Our haunted house made us famous in our subdivision. Kids would aproach us at the pool many months after and ask "Are you guys the ones with the haunted house?" And with a sly smile I answered "Why, yes, we are."

Plans are being formulated for another go round.
If you find yourselves in a place where screams pierce the night, followed by raucous laughter. You may be in our neighborhood. Come on by and see if we can scare the pee out of YOU!! MwuHaHa Ha!!!