She has had five "little horrors" (also known as her children) running about her house for the past few days, running on adrenaline from excitement about Halloween tonight.
They have been getting in some practice by scaring each other — and their mother — in preparation for the frightful night.
Mrs McLay said she was not sure how much more her heart could take.
"I come around the corner and they jump out and shout ‘boo!’ — they’re scaring the hell out of me.
"They’re little horrors."
Their house has been turned into a "crazy scientist’s laboratory", which contains a large chemistry set, some bubbling concoctions, a half-buried skeleton on the front lawn, Frankenstein hooking his monster up to a high voltage power source, and other ghostly and ghoulish objects.
"I don’t go over the top with lots of blood and stuff because my youngest daughter’s only 7.
"We try to keep it family friendly."
Mrs McLay said their house in Royal Cres would be open to the public from 7.30pm tonight, to give the community a chance to share in the Halloween spirit.
She said a small donation would be collected at the door and proceeds from the night would be given to The Starfish Collective.
The charitable organisation would use the money to bring two refugee families to New Zealand early next year and start a new life here.
