Today's the Day: Annual Halloween Parade in Bay Head, NJ

For the past few years, it feels like the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade has involved a grim weather forecast of hell and high water. Yesterday we drove down to our beach house in the pouring rain, which flooded Lake Avenue and didn't let up as we made our way to the Crab Shack to pick up 100 clams for dinner.

All week long, our little Weather Girl, Maddie, has been watching Weather.com, where just like last year, they forecast rain, rain, rain on Saturday, but sunny and 60 degrees on Sunday for the Bay Head Halloween Parade. Witches, goblins, ghosts and Disney princesses will start gathering on Mount Street in Bay Head, New Jersey, shortly after 11am for the 11:45am parade start.

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Trick or Treat: Democratic and Republican Presidential and Vice-Presidential Hopefuls Greet Supporters at the Bay Head Halloween Parade in Bay Head,

While Rex and the girls and I have been fortunate to take home the Bay Head Halloween Parade's "Good Sport" trophy (for adults who get dressed up to march in the parade with their children) this year and in prior years, one family almost always gets the trophy for the best family, and this year was no exception.

In the photo on the left, Sarah Palin greets the crowd on Mount Street in Bay Head, then on the right she joins, from left to right, a very short Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis, and John McCain to accept the big family trophy.

London and Maddie, Rex and Roxy's Big Win at the Bay Head Halloween Parade

We won, we won! While I do try to teach my girls that "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," it sure feels good to have that trophy in hand. As a family, we won the "Good Sport" award for grown-ups who dress up in the best costumes and march in the parade with their kids. So here we are in costume, from left to right: Maddie (as Sharpay "Golf" from High School Musical) Rex (as Ken), Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis, Roxy (as Barbie), and London (as Sharpay "End of Year" from High School Musical).

I took an amazing bunch of photos (including a Bay Head appearance by all of the presidential and vice presidential candidates) that I'll be posting over the course of the week, hope you'll enjoy!

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Countdown to the Bay Head Halloween Parade...3 Weeks To Go and London and Maddie, Rex and Roxy Are Almost Ready!

I know I've told you before, and I'll tell you again...our family takes Halloween very very seriously. Even before London was a glimmer in our eyes, Rex and I would sit out on the porch of our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, on the Sunday before Halloween, and the crowds of ghosts, goblins, princesses, prom queens and football players would gather in front of the shops on Mount Street for the Bay Head Halloween Parade.

The year Maddie was born, my niece Candy sewed a homemade pumpkin costume for Baby Maddie and a farmer girl costume for London, and London pulled her sister along the parade route from Mount Stree to the Bay Head Firehouse in a hay-filled (aaaahhchoo!) wagon. The girls won a trophy that year.

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