Posting Halloween on the next business day BOOYAH

I would just like to preface the main body of this post by saying that it is Monday, the first business day following Halloween 2014, and I am here with my Halloween post. Not my Halloween 2013 post, mind you, but my Halloween 2014 post.

IN. YO'. FACE. EASTER.

That is not to say that I don't still have some pictures from last summer to share with you. (I do.) But strictly for today, I am posting in a timely, seasonal manner. ENJOY IT, INTERNET.

We've come a long way from the days when the kids were willing to dress in coordinating themed costumes -- like in 2008 and 2009, for instance. Nope, now we are ALL over the proverbial map.

By the time I got home from work, it was very nearly completely dark outside. I turned on our floodlights and tried to get a few pictures without the flash, but it was hard. (The amount of light you see is misleading. Truly.)

From left to right, I present Anna from Frozen, Bucky from Captain America: Winter Soldier (I THINK; I am unclear on that one), a green ninja, and a creepy Screamer.

This is possibly the first year we've ever bought their costumes in September -- as opposed to October -- so believe it or not, these costumes were their FIRST CHOICES.

I know.

Jake was completely over the moon about his green ninja costume -- I think I was the only one in the dark on the silver space-age epaulets ... he kind of resembled a Star Trek ninja, actually.

Don't even get me STARTED on the Scream costume. Oh my gosh.

At one point during the night, Nick hid in a weeping-willow tree and ran out to scare me as I was walking down the street, and I PROMISE you my heart skipped at least two beats. I nearly peed my pants.

I assume that since he's in 6th grade, this might have been Nathaniel's last year to dress up and go out trick-or-treating. But I don't know. When do kids stop where you live?

I'll tell you one thing: He likes candy. So if that's the only way he's going to get it, he may just keep on dressing up until he's 40.

I'm proud to say that even though we saw about 25 Elsas from Frozen, we didn't see a single other Anna. I know Elsa is all the rage, but I really like Anna, and I'm glad Amelia does, too.

Her costume had cute little touches like Anna brooches and pom-pom trim on her capelet, and her taffeta skirt was sparkly.

Oh, and her leggings were sparkly, too. The little shoes were like slippers that slid on right over her regular shoes.

This kid could NOT have been happier to have been representing Anna. I didn't think she'd wear all the pieces of the costume, especially since she had to wear extra clothes under it -- it was 38 degrees! -- but she did.

We trick-or-treated with our friends the Gardners in the neighborhood adjacent to ours that really does Halloween up right. And they don't call the police when Jake looks in their windows.

Our friends Tim and Leanne always have cute decorations out for Halloween, and this year was no exception.

And Leanne even dressed up for the occasion!

The kids went to almost every house together, only splitting up for a few.

We were out there for at least two hours, and when we got to the house that grills hotdogs, I was DYING for one. I actually wanted to stand there by the grill for a while!

Another successful Halloween is on the books, that's for sure.

I will say, not enough Butterfingers in their treatbags. That is a disappointment no parent should have to bear. I WALKED THE MILES, TOO.

But I did find a couple of mini-Almond Joys to help me feel better.