About to add 10 lbs to my hips

Because I am completely helpless in the face of small packaged candy. Small bags of chips....well that's hardly a serving is it? I'll have to eat 4. Bite-size candy bars? Oh, let's eat a dozen. My self-control is found severely lacking every Hallowe'en.

Meh. Frankly, I think I totally deserve it since my Thursday sucked ass.

Phil had booked us in for the Pumpkin Social Thursday evening, so we had not bought pumpkins since we were getting 3 that night. And hotdogs. I arrive with the kids (Phil was working) to discover that since Phil had not sent in money with the order form (which he swears didn't say that the money had to be in before hand. The form, and any other notes we got about the event didn't have the start time either) they had nothing for us. No pumpkins, no hotdogs.

Off we went in search of pumpkins and supper.

Not suprising, there were no pumpkins (at least, not ones that were rotten) to be had on the night before Hallowe'en. After looking at the 5th place, we improvised

Which worked well, Cam and Grace really enjoyed painting. Gabriel was not so interested. The major flaw with this of course is Mama doesn't get any roasted pumpkin seeds. Which makes Mama sad.

When we got home we discovered one of our tires had gotten punctured somewhere along the way. So I missed my knitter mommies hallowe'en party Friday morning while Phil took the tire to be repaired. Thankfully it didn't cost much to fix, and should last for a while.

Friday morning, while Phil was off getting the tire fixed I took the youngers in their costumes (and was made to wear a costume myself) on the bus to a puppet show at the library. The kids enjoyed it, and I enjoyed chatting with Ann. Who makes a pretty awesome apple crisp, as it happens. We had a playdate in the afternoon and we knit while the girls played. Then we ate ice cream and apple crisp. Frankly, I can't think of a better way to waste an afternoon (yarn, chat, and baked goods...mmmmm).

Then it was home, an early supper, back into costumes

We have Grace, who is dressed as Odette, the lead character from Swan Lake

One person recognized. The look on Grace's face was priceless, and she quicky said "Yes! Yes! I'm Odette!!" By that point she had given up explaining it at every house when the homeowner would say "Look at the pretty princess!"

Next up is Gabriel, a most adorable frog

He really got into the trick or treating thing. He used his cuteness to get extra treats from homeowners, managing to convince one gentleman to give him 5 candy bars by pointing and nodding his head. When the man's hands were empty Gabriel said "Thanks! Byeeee!"

Finally we have Cam the Clone Trooper

I can't tell you how many times I was corrected when I called him a "Storm Trooper" (Sorry, I still don't see a big difference, but apparently it's there and it's important).

Once costumed we piled in the van to hit up our family members for candy, and as is tradition the first house we stop at is my mom and dad's.

Where Gabriel ran right at his uncle and coerced him into opening some candy. Not the stuff that Nana put in his bucket...no no, my child is no fool. He had Evan give him new stuff from the bowl.

Then it was off to my grandmother's, then to my sister in law's, then back home to meet Ann and her family to start the trick or treating in the neighbourhood.

As usual, we brought the wagon and a garbage bag to dump the buckets into. Dumping the buckets caused some issue with the younger ones who felt that they didn't need to. This resulted in some arguments with Grace, and full on "NOOOOOO! MINE!!!! MINE!!" from Gabriel (solved by leaving one thing in his bucket each time it was dumped).

Cam isn't really all that into trick or treating anymore. He's more about the costume. So it was sort of nice that we were out with Ann and her family and Phil was able to run Cam home when he had enough (rather than having to listen to him complain). The little ones did a full street and a half after Cam's departure, which turned out to be just enough. We planned our route perfectly as the last house led us directly to where Phil parked the van...just in too, as the small ones were feeling sort of moody as the novelty wore off and tiredness set in.


"mmmm....chips!"

This was my favourite pumpkin of the night:


And so the madness of Hallowe'en is over for another year. Let the madness of Christmas begin!