Even the young ones got dressed up for the party!

One of our neighbours helped get everything ready... She played a big part in the haunted garage this year.

Apple bobbing featured again this year. The kids actually got all the apples, so we had to put them in for another round.

Mom gets the kids excited about the yucky dip... This year there was a surprise bonus: scorpions!

Yuck.... yuck... yuck...

LR gets a... slime covered scorpion! YUCK!

The kids are excited to line up for the piñata. Some friends helped us set it up this year...

B is the first to whack the pumpkin, and already it's not looking good.

We raised it up higher to try to increase its longevity... It helped, but not quite enough. RJ still got some powerful hits in.

By the time LR and her friends had a go, the piñata was leaking candy everywhere!

It's down! FEEDING FRENZY! ... Next year, we'll add armour plating.

Mom hands out the clue buckets for the treasure hunt.

LR's team did really well, but there were some super hard clues in there.

At the end of the day, everyone lined up for the grand finale and selected their projectiles from the three rubbish bins filled with watery ammunition.

Run, pirate! RUN!

Your feeble sword is no match for the assault of 35 kids with water bombs!

ANOTHER DIRECT HIT! SPLASH!

LR awoke to a huge pile of presents. Yeah!!!!

Her main present was a sewing kit, complete with pins, needles, fabric, thread, yarn, knitting needles, scissors and marking chalk, and most importantly, a big box with lots of little compartments to keep it all organised.

LR opens one of her presents from RJ, a glowing speaker for her ipod. He spent a lot of time with Mom carefully choosing something he knew she would like.

LR also received a phone call from the USA. Grandma Wendy and Grandpa Jeff called to wish her Happy Birthday!

Grammy stopped by to deliver her present (from Poppa too). An art kit with charcoal, pencils, brushes, and a sketch pad -- perfect for taking with you, anywhere.

Dad promised he would decorate her cake exactly as she wanted it. LR joined in to help make it perfect. Requirements: the planet Saturn, bacterial colonies, a strand of DNA and some writing.

Mom sets down the cake as LR dangerously wields the notorious Birthday Cake Knife.

LR's birthday party was a carefully planned event. Everyone was required to wear a costume. LR chose to dress as a princess.

LR and the girls played different games at the park.

Food time! A horde of hungry girls swarms the table.

While one group of girls played games across the road, the rest performed for the video camera in a suspensful tale of deceit and treachery (directed by Dad). The footage was edited while the kids ate cake and other goodies. Once done, they all sat down to watch themselves in their own movie. The entire concept was LR's plan from the beginning and everyone loved it!

It was a dark and stormy... err... bright and spooky afternoon in the park that day. Jim decided to hang out at the slide; his diet had been a huge success!

The local cemetery has been full for some time, so the extra bodies get sent to our park. Building sandcastles is always extra surprising around here!

RJ, the knight, stops to sheath his sword, blood streaming from his wounded arm.

Dr. Seuss showed up and filled helium balloons for everyone.

A rastafarian showed up... to do Jamai-cup!

This pirate and witch teamed up to do terrible things to a pumpkin.

Some of the kids try out Jim's all-apple diet for themselves!

Poppa got an apple on the first try, but was it one of the prized apples marked with an 'X'?

E. wont be going hungry tonight!

Mister Mistoffelees let everyone stick their arm into the Bag of Worms to find a buggy prize.

RJ considers whether he should settle for the ant, or if he should plunge his arm in for another attempt.

Amanda and RJ work together on making the scariest popcorn monster hand ever.

LR the cat starts off her monster hand with some creepy lolly fingertips.

Frank has a secret plan to build herself an entire popcorn monster.

The bat... Two balloons, newspaper, flour, spraypaint, plastic wings and duct tape to hold the them on... Will it survive the assault of 30 children?

After everyone has had a go with blindfolds on, the bat is still in perfect shape! Mum helps RJ to get really stuck into it.

C. has several attempts and pounds it mightily.

One of our new neighbours shows no mercy! The bat laughs at his feeble attempt!

The crowd waits anxiously... Will the sweet, sweet rain of candy ever begin to fall? Will the bat continue to mock them?

HRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!

Fed up with its mocking laughter, Mum goes medieval on the bat. WHAM! WHAM! CRASH!

The first few pieces of candy have dropped. Time to just rip the thing open!

FEEDING FRENZY! Watch out for your feet, Mum!

A caveman proudly nurses his mortally wounded pet bat... Mr. Batty McWings, beneath your surprisingly tough shell, you were so sweet and full of joy. You will be remembered.

Time for the treasure hunt! RJ and his cohort start the search for the elusive marbles.

The older kids have a scavenger hunt with riddles, clues and challenges to solve.

One of the challenges... Find the caveman (currently hiding up in a tree behind a camera). We need to plant some taller trees.

Success! LR's team wins a reward!

Time for the ultimate battle: Caveman vs. Kids. Can his newly developed 'club' technology defeat the onslaught of hundreds of water balloons?

Caveman isn't doing well -- he's been severely handicapped by fogged goggles. He can't see a thing!

A brave young LR chases down the caveman and throws her grenade!

DIRECT HIT!

Another hit! It's not looking good for Ugg and his stone-age technology.

Ever smelled a wet caveman? It's not pleasant... even to a wet caveman.

Pirate Lilly gathers the troops to prepare for trick-or-treating!

Come on mateys! There be candy to plundarrrrrr!

RJ has grand schemes to fill his entire bucket... at the next house.

LR sets the direction for the unruly mob. How about that one over there guys?

Lilly brought her pet bobtail lizards around for a visit after things had quieted down. They're surprisingly friendly.

As with all things reptilian, they were a big hit with RJ.

LR enjoys some of the spoils of the evening... POP ROCKS!!!!

The gorilla rests his weary frame on the porch, waiting for trick-or-treaters. It's been a long, long day.

LR and I. are SUPER excited to be seeing the live performance of Mamma Mia!

RJ catches some ZZZ's after a big morning of building projects.

RJ, the sushi thief, prepares to steal his next delicious morsel.

RJ waxes philosophical on the nature of sushi... How can eight pieces disappear so very quickly and still leave a four year old wanting more?

Sushi's done. Time for miso!

One of the day's projects... building a light sabre for a jedi knight.

RJ and C. discuss the better moments of S.'s birthday party.

S. blows out all the candles! Happy Birthday!

LR investigates the clown fish and the coral up close.

RJ and LR touch a fiddler ray, some starfish and a sea cucumber in the touch pool.

Look out! There are sharks... lots of them!

There are two big turtles swimming around in there too... but the real giants are the smooth rays.

LR and I. get something delicious to eat before the big show.

The girls are buzzing with excitement before the show.

LR and I. show off the evidence! Happy Birthday LR!

LR spent several evenings making her mask for the school disco. At each of the school dances, there's a challenge to make the weirdest and most interesting outfits.

RJ's dinosaur costume didn't last long. It got in the way of eating the hotdogs.

LR gets into a groove on the dance floor.

RJ does a great 'Y' as music from the Village People plays in the background.