Candy ready: Halloween behind-the-scenes with the Monroe family

Whether they're suiting up in the uniform of a popular superhero or transforming into something a little more ghoulish, Halloween night is often a busy one for kids and their families.

That's true of the Monroe family and their six children who live just north of Cape Girardeau.

"Sometimes we find things at home and try to put things together. Other times we just go to the party stores or we might go to some thrift stores," Ashley Monroe said of her children's costumes.

This year the family's costumes included everything from 5-year-old Lewie's portrayal of the superhero The Flash, to the family's youngest, 2-year-old Rocky, becoming a walking and talking peanut.

"When the three older ones were little, they were all three hunters. And we just got them those fake, little shotguns and they dressed in camo," Ashley said.

Jackie Monroe, 14, assists her brother Rocky, 2, with his peanut costume while getting ready for Halloween activities Thursday at the Monroe home north of Cape Girardeau.Jacob Wiegand ~ jwiegand@semissourian.com

Jackie, 14, who portrayed a 1980s hip-hop dancer, said she enjoys the dressing-up aspect of Halloween. Recalling previous Halloweens, she said Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" was probably her favorite costume. Josie, Jackie's twin sister, took a slightly different approach to this year's costume than her sister and dressed as a killer nurse.

Frankie, the oldest of the siblings, had his own plans for Halloween while his parents and siblings made their way to Gordonville for a Halloween gathering and trick-or-treating.

Levi, 10, and Lewie told a few jokes while sitting in the living room after getting their costumes ready for the evening.

"Another good one is 'Where does Count Dracula go water skiing? ... Lake Erie,'" Levi said.

Chocolate was a popular wish-list item for trick-or-treaters in the household.

Monroe siblings (from left): Jackie, 14; Rocky, 2; Frankie, 16; Lewie, 5; Levi, 10; and Jackie's twin Josie, 14; get ready for their mother, Ashley, to take their picture Thursday outside the Monroe home north of Cape Girardeau.

"I want to get Kit Kats and Twix," Levi said. "But the most I'm going to ask for is 100 Grand."

But Lewie desired a different kind of sweet.

"It's a rainbow one, but I don't know the name of it," Lewie said in reference to Skittles. "I don't like the chocolate stuff. I just like the ... the sweet stuff."