This is Halloween...

The party for playgroup went good last week. As far as I know! Everyone seemed to have a good time.
I did have a very adventurous day leading up to the party, though. A member gave me a certificate she had won for a free kids jumper/bouncy thingy. I had to drive out and get it since I'm one of the few members with a truck big enough to haul the jumper. The place renting the jumper was really a couple's house. They live waaayyyy.... out in rural podunk, so I had a difficult time finding the place. I got the directions from the man, but didn't read them carefully. After driving around awhile, I turned into a driveway that went way back in the woods. There was a sign that said it was some type of camp, but the jumper owner guy mentioned this sign in his directions, so I assumed I was supposed to turn there. Looking around, I got a creepy feeling that Jason Voorhees would jump out at any moment. Even in broad daylight. It looked like the type of camp he would have haunted. Broken swings on the playground, run-down, shabby looking cabins, very old trees that creaked in the wind... I just wanted to get my jumpy and get out of there.
I drove around to a building that had people in it, so I parked and started to walk up to it. There was a note that said "Please use front door" with an arrow pointing, well, to the front I guess. I walked back to the truck and started to open the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Naturally, I jumped out of my skin. Knowing with every bone in my body that Jason was standing beside me, I made the typical horror movie mistake. I turned around. Duh! Get in the truck and drive like hell, woman! Don't turn around!!! (I know I'm not the only one who yells at the screen when watching a horror flick!)
There was an old man standing there. Ok, so Jason's aged a little! I mean, his first movie came out in 1980, and he had been dead for awhile when it came out, so it's possible. The old man says "Aren't you going to come in?" I thought.... um... No! I showed him my certificate for the jumper and told him that I was here to pick up the kids jump. He had no idea what I was talking about, but asked us to come in and have lunch with them. Again... NO! He told me they were on a church retreat. Personally, I think they should ask for their money back because that camp did not look like something any church I know of would book! But whatever. After more insistence that we come have lunch, and more, "No thank you, we are really running behind for a party today", I got the heck out of there. Oh, and I was in such a hurry I backed the truck in to a fence. That was not good.
When I pulled out of the long driveway I noticed that I was only one driveway away from the correct one. That figures. The people who owned the jumper live on a farm where they raise goats and pigs and ponies, and all sorts of animals that they rent out, kind of like a traveling petting zoo. About 15 dogs ran up to my truck, so I stopped short, afraid that I might hit one. The guy put some of the smaller ones away, then asked me to back the truck up to the jumper, for easier loading. I had Louisa jump out to warn me in case I was about to hit any of the doggies left running around. The guy says, "It's okay, they'll get out of the way!"
We loaded up the jumper with no problem. I was about to take off when I realized that he never took my name or number. Here I am, renting one of his jumpers for free, and he didn't have any information from me. I could have easily kept it. Except that it was a big purple castle and I really didn't have much use for it.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Well, besides the party. It went well, we had fun, and I stressed out for nothing! As usual.

After everyone left the party, the kids and I went for a walk along the lake, watching the sun set. Our favorite time of day. Drew said, "How come everyone else gets their daddy and I don't?" I told him there were a few other kids in playgroup whose daddy's were deployed, too. But I know that's not what he wants to hear. I can't make Daddy come home any faster. Daddy hasn't missed a Halloween with us since Drew was 1, and I know Drew doesn't remember that. It's hard to go through all these holidays without our daddy, when we see so many other kids that get to have theirs. All I can say is, he'll be home soon.

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone gets lots of candy and keeps those dentists in business ;)

And Happy Birthday to my one and only sister!