All dressed up...Where shall we go?

Have I ever mentioned the many reasons I love Fall? 
No?  Allow me to elucidate -
1. It's back to school time. 
I love my children, don't get me wrong.  I have dedicated the past 12 years of my life to their well-being but there's something wonderful about the first day that they all go to school and you have six glorious hours of quiet.
2.  The leaves start to fall down from the trees and, if the weather isn't too wet, they get crunchy.  I love crunchy leaves.  Especially when they've been down from the tree for a while and the weather's been dry and they've had a chance to really curl up.  Those have the most satisfying CRUNCH!
3.  HALLOWEEN!  This is for the kid in me.  I love to dress up in costumes and "pretend".  The candy's not a bad thing either.  I can eat several mini Twix's in one day and nobody will think anything of it.
4.  It's "96 season".  This is for the military wife in me.  Autumn marks the beginning of lots of 4 day weekends.   Labor Day, Columbus Day, Marine Corps Birthday, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years...sometimes they even get time off for the Super Bowl (but I think that's only on Okinawa)
5.  The Marine Corps Ball.  This is for the grown up in me.  I still get to dress up but it's the fancy kind of dressing up and my hubby has to dress up too.  :O)  THAT'S the part I like the best.

The best of times,the worst of times...

...Halloween from two perspectives
Depending on who you are, Halloween can be either the best or the worst.

**For the mom trying to sew three costumes in one week, it's probably closer to the worst (although the three children
 placing that much faith in her should count for something...)
*For the children who get to wear the costumes - Party! Bonus! Definitely the best of times.
**For the parents who get to take their kids to the church Halloween activity the day BEFORE Halloween (at which costumes are a social must and they "trunk-or-treat" from car to car) - Worst of times.
* For the kids - two Halloweens in one year! YES! Best of times....
**Regarding the previously mentioned church activity - Dinner is provided---that's good. Good times...but not really best.
*Again, regarding the church activity - dinner is chili. gross. worst.
**Then there's the candy. I understand now why my mom always said we could go once around our block. 13 houses times 7 kids is plenty of candy. As a parent, this is abundantly clear.
*Here is some kid math: dress up + go to the neighbors house = get candy!
We should do this every day!!

**Definitely NOT doing this every day.  Once a year is enough!
*Mom's just afraid of having this much candy in the house all the time....killjoy.