Last night was devoted to walking the streets with the children as we engaged in a mild form of extortion, demanding protection candy as a form of insurance for the next year. Everyone paid; nobody got hurt.
Well, the Girl Child got hurt. She got run down by someone in the pack of children she was trying to keep up with. Her bag got a little scrunched, she claims, and this made her very sad. We were off trick or treating with some friends and their children and the Girl Child was the youngest of the group, not including the Boy Child who, while with the group, was not not of the group. She started by holding my hand and walking with me. By the middle of the excursion, she told me that she did not want to hold my hand anymore and made it clear that she wanted to go with the bigger kids. I allowed her, with some reservations. Then she skinned her knee and her hand when she fell or was pushed. After that, she stuck closer by and held my hand. Also, she was getting tired.
The kids were adorable, though. She was a witch and he was a "blue toot-toot guy", a train engineer in a blue hat. They thanked everyone who gave them candy and said trick or treat after they deposited the candy in their bags and they resisted correction on the timing of the salutation. I didn't try very hard to correct them and really why should I?
They have had a good week. On Sunday, we took them to the Circus when Ringling Bros, etc., came to the arena in Bridgeport. Such excitement, so much cotton candy. Their pleasure in the cotton candy was balanced by my shock at having to pay $9 for the bag of it. I thought that was astonishing. What impressed the Boy Child the most, you may wonder? Was it the elephants, the lions, the acrobats? No, it was a very short skit with two clowns and a giant toothbrush. He is still talking about the "teethbrush" and going to visit it again.
On Saturday, we all trooped off to a military museum in Danbury. They were having an "open turret" day and that meant we could climb on the tanks and look inside and climb into the other vehicles. The kids and I had a marvelous time. My father in law is a military history buff and, while we were clambering on the tanks, he was deep in conversation with a volunteer guide.
All in all, a successful day. Indeed, if not for the nanny situation, it would have been quite a wonderful weekend.
Posted by Random Penseur at November 1, 2005 04:10 AM | TrackBackI love it that you didn't fuss when the GC fell while trying to keep up with the Big Kids.
I know so many (too many!) parents who would be up in arms and probably trying to stop trick-or-treating altogether if their precious child had become harmed in any way during any kind of activity. Or, at the very least, bitching about the other kids and what hooligans they were not to be more careful, blah, blah, etc., etc.
Very refreshing, RP.
Posted by: Amber at November 1, 2005 06:22 PMSounds like you guys had fun. We did too. The boy is 12 and the girl is 2 and 8 months. She is, far away, more outgoing than her older brother! Half the time she was leading him to the doors of houses, saying hi to random people on the street, and more than willing to reach into people's candy dishes if they offered. She mostly remembered to say trick or treat (although it sounded like tri-tree!) and would always say thank you. Only one little problem with that, she turned around and said it to my wife and I, not the people of the house, making sure that we knew she was saying thank you!
She refused to be carried or ride in her stroller, grudgingly let us fix the cape on her outfit, and refused to let anyone carry her candy for her.
Heh, Halloween with little ones is a blast, isn't it?
Posted by: Eric at November 2, 2005 02:08 AMThis was a Halloween I'd have loved to swap with you. Mine involved copious amounts of fresh feces. I'll do the write up when I have a chance and all will become clear.
Posted by: Jim at November 3, 2005 03:54 PMHmm. A poop post from Jim!? Can't hardly wait. A poop post from Jim is better than a non-poop post from nearly anyone else. Or -- is it that poop posts from Jim make me squirt beverages out of my nose every time?
Anyway, I digress.
One question, RP: Is it wrong that every time you post the word Nanny, Fran Drescher flits across my cranium?
Yeah. I know. And I'm heartily sorry. ;o)
Posted by: Margi at November 4, 2005 02:18 AM