Monday, October 31, 2011

Polter-WHAT?

It's that whole 'i before e' rule that has me stumped.

Poltergeist doesn't look like it's spelled right.

But poltergiest doesn't look right either.

So I'm having trouble telling you this frightening tale of paranormal activity.

But I'll try.

Because it's Halloween.

And because I'm cool like that.

I'd never let a little thing like bad grammar or spelling keep me from telling you a story.

Yeah.

Ummm...

So...

I'm not one of those anal retentive people that need to have everything in perfect order at all times.

You know?

Hey.

Can you wait a second?

There's two pencils in my pencil cup with the eraser facing down and I. Must. Fix. That. Immediately.

Okay.

That's better.

Where was I?

Oh. Yeah. Polter-something and not being anal retentive.

So...

Every year I put my astonishing Halloween display of plastic pumpkins out on my front sidewalk.

One pumpkin on the right and left of each step. One pumpkin in front of each light. Two pumpkins on each side of the door, etc. etc.


Hmmm...

Okay. I guess maybe I am a bit anal retentive.

But only about plastic Halloween pumpkins. And pencils put into the pencil cup the wrong way.

However.

This year almost every single day my pumpkins ended up in disarray.


At first I thought it was the wind.

Then I thought it was Mr. Jenny trying to play cruel games with my emotional health. (don't look so surprised...he does that sometimes when he's totally bored...)

And then I thought it was Oskar the weiner dog knocking things over and looking for food.


And every time I would go out and find the pumpkins all strewn about, I'd take a few minutes and put them back where they were supposed to go. You know. In the proper order for plastic pumpkin arrangement. (NOT! Very anal retentive...so there!)

Okay. Now this is the scary part so make sure all the lights are turned on in the room where you're reading this.

I found out it wasn't the wind OR Mr. Jenny OR Oskar the weiner dog.

But I didn't know what was causing the weird, pumpkin disturbance almost every single day.


I was frightened.

I became unable to sleep.

I tried calling the Ghost Buster guys but apparently Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd don't do that stuff anymore.

Things were looking bleak.

Until last Friday.

Friday morning was lovely and cool and Mr. Jenny opened the front door to let the cool breeze in.

While I was working in my office, I heard a woman's voice saying, "Come back! Come back! You aren't going in their yard again!"

Then I heard a little kids voice laughing in glee.

Then I looked outside and saw our next door neighbor's toddler re-arranging the pumpkins with great gusto.

I grabbed the camera...knowing it would be a perfect picture to share with you and I ran to the front door.

I scared the little kid to death!

He threw the pumpkin he was moving up into the air!

His mouth made a perfect little "O" and then his lower lip started to tremble.

I clicked the button on the camera and the battery was dead.

Accccckkkk!

He ran across the yard to his Mom, crying.

I looked over at her and waved and said, "Awww, isn't that cute that he likes to do that?"

Yeah.

I think he got in trouble because my pumpkins have remained perfectly arranged ever since.

And it makes me sad.

Because not only do I have no Polter-WHAT?, I made a little kid cry.

So I put out a little piece offering for him on the wall between our houses.


BUT...

The next morning the pumpkins were gone!

Gone, I tell ya.

Like maybe there really is a Polter-WHAT? wandering around who absconded with the peace offering pumpkins.

Boy.

You never know what kind of creepy stuff can happen on Halloween. Especially if you have a polter-WHAT?, poltergiest...poltergei...

TODDLER running rampant through the neighborhood.

...

...

Sigh...

post signature

26 comments:

Deborah said...

This did make me smile :o)

Unknown said...

You made him cry! haha!! I can't believe the mom just stood there letting him rearrange the pumpkins. That's so stinkin' funny.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

The making the kid cry part?AWWWWWWWWWWWW.....mwahahaha!


And the anal retentive part? Ah, my sistah from another mistah.

Paula ~ castleandcottagesigns said...

How stinking cute! Just don't wear that witch hat tonight giving him candy and he'll recover:)

Kim Lehnhoff said...

Poor kid, he'll probably have lifelong neighbor anxiety...or see disembodied pumpkinhead monsters in his nightmares.

Hope he gets some good candy tonight, and that you two make up!

And charge the camera, and take his picture.

Unknown said...

This was such fun to read.

LuLu Kellogg said...

ROFL! That was such a cute story Jenny!

Thank you for "introducing" Meri and myself! You were right, we were destined to be friends just like you and I are!

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo

Pondside said...

Poor little fellow! He'll probably tell that tale, embellishing it each year, well into old age. If you hear the story years from now, you might find that you've been changed inot a scary witch that came to the door!

Unknown said...

Silly...don't you know you gotta put candy in them there pumpkins to appease the polter-whats!

Theresa said...

Oh how fun, I bet they were laughing their little heads off:) Thanks for my cute surprise in my mailbox!!!!!! Have a spooktacular Halloween! HUGS!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Heeehehehee!!! What an adorable little spooky tale!!! 'Just too skinkin' cute! :o)

Ya can't imagine how it turns my world inside out to have things in disarray 'round here. My children and their spouses love to 'move' my treasures around. Heck, last Christmas after they left I even found pictures switched and hung upside-down. Pure torture I tell ya!!! Heeehehehe!

God bless and have a most ghoulish fun day filled with toddlin' little spooks!!!! :o)

BYW: Angel loved her little sketch book. It will be wonderful therapy for her right hand!!! Thanks!!!

Judie said...

O.k., so where's the photo of the kid crying? I wanna see the kid! When that little beggar comes around tonight, make him cry again!! Or, better still, make that mother cry for allowing her child to mess with your stuff! Yeah! That's the ticket!!!

Susan Anderson said...

Oh, shoot. I wish I could have seen that picture that almost was!

=)

Busy Bee Suz said...

That is so darn funny. Those toddlers....they try to really scare us, but it won't work!!!
Happy Halloween Jenny!!!!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Mrs Jenny --thank you so much for the Halloween surprise card and tea --- you are so kind --and a card maker extraordinaire!

This story is hysterical..lol. I know I'd be so confused to see my pumpkins rearranging themselves all the time and I'd probably suspect a neighbor's child. At least they didn't play "smashing pumpkins" like happened to me one year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dazee Dreamer said...

hahahaha. too bad your camera battery died. that would have been an awesome photo.

Ms. A said...

Haven't you figured out that a water canon is much better for those occasion, than a camera. Just kidding. It's been a while since I've squirted young children. They've learned from their mistakes. LOL!

anitamombanita said...

hahahahaha...cuuuuute. Happy Howling-wienie dog. Oh, yea, I know it wasn't him, but I couldn't resist saying that.

Wanda..... said...

That's what you get for putting out such cute pumpkins...they were too cute not to take.

BTW...I drank some pumpkin spice tea today!

Cassie said...

Heh-heh! Mystery solved! I bet the photo would have been cute!
Happy Halloween!

Gattina said...

Now that probably can only happen to you having a toddler hooligan disturbing the order of your pumpkins !
BTW a Poltergeist is a German word and means literally : Rumble (Polter) Ghost (Geist) !

H said...

Rumble Ghost!!! I like that!!

A Rumble ghost disturbed your pumpkins :)

(A very small rumble ghost!)

(A very small rumble ghost with tears!!

Leovi said...

A delicious photos, I hope not to have visits from Polter-WHAT? I like!. Have a Happy Halloween!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Toddlers are way scarier than poltergeists.

Ames said...

Cute story Jenny.Thank goodness one of my oldest grands came to hand out candy. Never mind that "He" was wearing pink wings and toting a pink glowing wand. I was glad for the help. This year we bought extra candy and only had about 20 kids.I sent the rest home with the grands to avoid temptaion!~Ames

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

I feel like a complete fool, sitting here, all by myself, typing and laughing out loud. That was just too cute. laurie