Charlie had planned to be a ninja, and I got him a costume for $10, but the day before Halloween we got several trash bags of hand-me-downs that included G.I. Joe, Bakugan, Bumblebee the Transformer, and Batman costumes. Charlie elected to go with Batman, and he looked great. We shoehorned Oscar into the organ grinder monkey costume that Charlie wore when he was one and a half, and Summer sparkled as a "candy corn fairy."
We always trick or treat in the same neighborhood. This year, the lady who always hands out single sticks of Wrigley's gum also gave the children "fortune cards" (Summer's term). "Mine says 'It's Simple to be Saved!'" Summer reported. I noticed that treat givers seemed to favor M&Ms heavily for some reason, and also there were more full-size candies. It used to be just one house on the loop that did that. So, all in all, a very good time.
Moments before I took pictures, I knelt down to VelcroTM Oscar's hat, and my big fat camera, which was hanging around my neck, swung forward and bashed Oscar in the face. He cried for like, half a second, and I gave him lots of kisses and loving, and then he was totally fine.*
Fine!
If that were toddler Summer, Halloween would have been OVER. And I don't know if that's my fault or hers. I guess mine, since I'm both her biological mother AND the person who is raising her. Nature AND nurture. Poor Summer.
The pictures are garbage anyway.
Yes that's a sword Batman is holding. Because Batman never leaves the Batcave without a sword, right? No. I think Charlie found that sword in the car on the way to Maureen's.
Now let me tell you what happened when I tried to "boo-ze" a friend. It was Alissa N., by the way, who "boo-zed" me (and nearly put me into cardiac arrest). I decided I would do it to Sarah R-H. I bought cookies at Teacakes and a few pieces of fancy chocolate. Then I went to the pharmacy to buy hand cream, a romance novel, and an emery board to replace the headbands and nail polish I took out. As I headed to the cashier with my basket, who should walk into the pharmacy but Sarah!
I contorted my body so she couldn't see what I was buying and made weird, distracted small talk, hoping she would get what she'd come for and get out. She told me all about the absurd weekend she had planned, taking care of another family's two other children overnight, and waking up at ungodly times for hockey and basketball. Good, I thought, this is the person who deserves to be "boo-zed."
The next night Summer and I drove out in the dark to plant the bag. We pulled up in front of their driveway. The lights were on, and the shades were down. "Perfect," I said. "I can see my way up to the door and then drop it and run." Then suddenly, the lights went out. "Oh no!" I said. "They must have just switched off their lights for bed!" I inched up the driveway in the dark--and then suddenly Sarah and Bret were standing on their deck with a flashlight. "Hello?" Sarah said.
*Sigh.*
"It's me, Jill," I said.
"Oh hi!" said Sarah. "We just lost power!" I looked around. All the lights were off at all the neighbors' houses.
What could I do? In my pajama pants and slippers, no less.
"I was trying to spook you," I said sheepishly. "Here."
"Oh!" said Sarah. "Thank you so much! Matthew will be so happy."
"It's not for Matthew. It's for you."
"Thank you!" she said.
"Well." I said. "It really doesn't have the same effect if I just hand it to you. But, uh, happy Halloween!"
Clearly I just wasn't meant to be a successful "boo-ze"r.
*One of Oscar's new things is, when I grab him and give him all kinds of nom noms and kisses on his neck, he says, "More love!" (which sounds like "Moh luff"). Jeff and I now make him do it every day because it's just! so! cute!