We waited until the last minute to carve pumpkins. What with the smashing of all our pumpkins last year, and our recent trip to Florida this year making things extra busy, we didn’t have time to go to the pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay. I figured it was easier, and cleaner, to skip it. But on Halloween day, Ethan and our friend Clara Coady needed a project while Erin was working at CPNS. So they carved 2 pumpkins all on their own. They even cleaned up afterwards.

Ethan was a pirate. He had a parade at his school and waved to everyone with a big smile. When he went out trick or treating he was supposed to take just the UNICEF box to collect money for children in need. My plan was that he would trade-off collecting candy with Jared, thereby limiting the amount of candy we would get. (Last year we threw more than half of it away.) However, I stayed home to greet trick or treaters and Glen didn’t enforce my idea. So Ethan would trick or treat for candy and then say, “I’m collecting money for poor kids!” If the person said, I’m sorry I don’t have any change, he would say, “I can wait while you get it.” Talk about persistence. We’ve got a salesman in the making.

Jared was a BLUE Power Ranger. Not just a Power Ranger, a blue one. He was very specific. He had a costume parade and show at gymnastics in the morning. Then he had pre-k and preschool with no costumes allowed. Then he was back in his costume for trick or treating. His scariest part was when a guy jumped out of the bushes at one of the Haunted Houses they visited. His favorite part of Halloween, besides candy, was – well, apparently there was no other favorite part that even comes close. Just getting candy and eating candy.

Matthew started the day with quite a fright. I was changing his diaper when Glen came in the room and asked how his costume looked. Matthew, who was looking at him over my shoulder, started crying and looked terrified. I had no idea why and started to soothe him, but he was staring at Glen and very scared. I turned, to point and say – it’s just daddy honey – and got a start myself. Glen had a long white wig and beard on and looked like a stranger had just walked into our house! His voice wasn’t enough to convince Matty that it was daddy. He had to take the wig and beard off before Matty calmed down.

Matthew was a chicken for most of the day, although he also wore his muscle-spiderman costume around for a while. He LOVED trick or treating, just like last year.