Halloween Party in the Backyard

Backyard Halloween party in Walnut Creek, two weeks ahead of the actual day. The costume count: a Spider-Man who kept the mask on the whole afternoon, a Snow White, a bat with red wings, a girl in head-to-toe red with a pair of plastic sai, a pink princess dress with puffed sleeves, and one boy in a SWAT vest and cap who spent a good stretch of the party standing on the rope swing instead of sitting in it.

The main event was a carved pumpkin set out on the lawn. One of the dads, in a vampire cape, dropped a bag of something into it while the kids lined up and watched, and then they took turns fishing whatever it was back out.

Later a grown-up in a skeleton shirt with full face paint got everyone up on the patio for some kind of game. The little one in purple stripes joined that part, teddy bear in one hand.