Halloween started a bit later for us this year. Because of the move and the half-marathon, we missed the local mom's club party on the first weekend of October. We went to a Haunted House two weeks ago, but I didn't realize that I needed to take photos so I don't have any documentary evidence of H as superman. Our camera recently broke but I hadn't replaced it because I was planning to wait for Black Friday deals. As random strangers took photos of their kids and H at the Haunted House, I realized, "um, no, that was not going to work." I ordered a digital camera from Amazon.com that night.
Last Wednesday, I didn't know what to expect because H's school just told us that there would be a Halloween parade and party at the school that afternoon. I thought it would just be the kids parading past us in their costumes, but I should have known it would be more than that since H's school is one of those over-achiever preschools focused on academics, complete with its own art and music programs. (They learn about one new artist and composer a month, this past month they painted their own versions of the Mona Lisa.) Since we moved after the school year started, H ended up there because it was the only school with a good playground that had a spot open. We visited five preschools the day after we moved and the ones that didn't have a playground, I just kept on driving!
H and the other pre-K students performed seven songs for us as part of the Halloween parade. I was foiled in my attempt to get a good photo of H&R together by R refusing to wake up from his nap during the performances. He had no problem waking up when it was time to have cookies and ice cream at the party, though. I'm so glad H was able to celebrate Halloween at school. His previous preschool must be owned by Jehovah's Witnesses because they did not allow any celebrations at school. H's current school even had a carnival on Friday night, complete with its own Haunted House. I didn't take R through the Haunted House after having learned from his nonstop crying during the previous experience, even though it was the "Good Fairy" version of the tour. H went through three times, once by himself!
Friday night I was able to get a good photo of them together. Saturday they both decided to be Army guys, but R again slept through the event we went to that day so I don't have any proof that he was wearing a costume. By Sunday, R decided he had had enough of the cowboy costume and ripped it off. Instead, I made him wear a Superman t-shirt over his clothes at the church Harvest Festival. I did so fearing the wrath of my sister who is always watching my actions like a hawk to make sure I don't treat No. 2 Son like a second-class citizen. Sorry Sis, R is the one who refused to cooperate!
As for me, I am DONE! I will NEVER go to another Mall/Shopping Center/Store Halloween Event as long as I live! We tried to trick or treat indoors at Valley Fair in Santa Clara because of the weather. It was absolute chaos, so much so we will never go back to that shopping center on the weekend. There is a 1 1/2 mile line on the freeway just to get off that exit every weekend, which I have never seen anywhere else for a shopping center other than on Black Friday. After the Valley Fair fiasco, H&R went trick or treating with Grandma, which they really enjoyed. Stewart never went trick or treating with his mom, but it's interesting to see what Grandma will do for her grandsons. All in all, a very fun Halloween for the boys and one set of tired-out parents. I think the past two years fulfill my quota of Halloween events for a lifetime. Next year, I will try very hard to be out of the country.
On an unrelated note, you may have noticed the new Give Health water donation widget on my sidebar. Very easy to donate, just enter your email address and they will send you an email to confirm your donation. They don't sell or use your email address for anything else. Just another way I'm trying to do my part to make this world a little better every day. Thank You and Good Night!
I missed the Halloween carnival at their elementary school because I just happened to have a lunch appointment at Chez Panisse that day. Even if it had been at Jack in the Box, I think I would have picked the lunch over the carnival. Apparently, it turns perfectly normal girls into zombies. And out of all the activities at the carnival, their favorite was "eating chips." Parents and high-schoolers spent three hours setting up the carnival, putting up games and decorations all over the multi-purpose room. The boys and I were there for an hour before I had to leave for Berkeley stretching out cotton to resemble cobwebs and hanging it on the walls. So much effort for a four hour event, what if all those volunteers had instead picked up the garbage in the school playground and fields? A better use of time and volunteer manpower but not quite as fun for the [young] adults channeling their inner Chucky.
The kids (and E and I) paraded around the school on Halloween in the rain. E had protested her original costume (Snow White) to join the army of Stepford Elsas. I ordered it off eBay and we had received it well in advance of the big day. The weather on Halloween morning, however, required E to take off her Elsa costume since it would have dragged in the rain. Instead she was very practical and put on a hoodie sweatshirt to protect her head. I couldn't understand why the school didn't just cancel the parade. I never had Halloween parades at any of my five elementary schools in Chicago. It may have been too cold on Halloween to do so; coats would have hid our costumes and defeated the entire point.
Halloween night was pretty uneventful. We went down the street instead of roaming the hills near my mother in law's house as we had done in past years, seeking out the neighbors known for giving full size treats. Sanity for the full-time working mom won out over the Hostess cupcakes and Costco size chocolate bars. They went through a decent number of houses and got a decent amount of candy (which will be going straight into the Operation Christmas Child boxes). Halloween, done. Does anyone need an Elsa costume?
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