Tonight was the Halloween Carnival at Chugach Optional Elementary. Kids in costumes, lots of old fashioned carnival booths (the lollipop pull! Go Fish! Cake walk!) and a silent auction. Have Halloween Carnivals always been the biggest fundraisers of the year for schools, or did I just not care as a kid? I was always too entranced with trying to win a live goldfish by tossing a ping pong ball in a fish bowl. Or making my way through the haunted house set up in the music room. Come to think of it -- Halloween Carnivals haven't really changed much through the years.

Highlights for us?

Seeing the kids so excited in their costumes. Christopher was approaching every other child in a Star Wars related costume (thought he was going to duel a boy dressed as Darth Maul for a while). And Cate using her glasses to help hold up her giant mask.

Getting out of the house after 2 straight days of being shut-ins from illness (amongst the noise and activity of the construction zone, no less). That alone was bliss for me.

Oh, and a few adult costumes that made Greg and I guffaw. One was a student's dad who is a prominent lawyer in Anchorage dressed up as Bill Allen. For those not up on Alaska news, Allen is the Former CEO of Veco, a company at the center of several large political corruption trials here in Alaska, including accusations against Sen. Ted Stevens. Allen has pleaded guilty to bribing several politicians. This dad was wearing a Veco jacket, a shaggy wig, and was passing out wads of fake $20's to anybody walking by. Then there was Eric Croft, former State Senator and former gubernatioral candidate, dressed in black and white jail stripes and his Alaska State Legislature ball cap. When Greg told him it was a clever costume, Eric stayed in character and replied, "thanks...oh, and can you spare a $20?"