Happy Halloween!

My hope was to have all our neighborhood friend's over for a soup potluck, then go for a hayride around the neighborhood, trick or treating.  However, Cecilia insisted that, "We ALWAYS go trick or treating with friends!  I want it to be just us!!!"  Who wants to argue with a "scary pirate?"

So . . . it was just us.  We light our jack-o-lanterns, left treats on our back step (baggies of home made trail mix, fruit leathers and apples) and loaded up in the tractor trailer for a hay ride around the 'block.'

Its a country block and we weren't even sure anyone would expect trick or treaters in the country.  But I think its important to visit your neighbors, so we multi-purposed this night.

We visited neighbors.  We were invited in, stayed for a spell and our two hour trick or treating evening with a pirate, a fairy and a wee little piglet was spent at seven homes, who filled our hearts and our baskets to brimming.  One friend gave each of my children their own bottle of Redi Whip.  He said it had been a dream of his to have his own bottle, so we get to live the dream.  Our neighbor, the dentist, gave out toothbrushes with toothpaste.  Most everyone said, "Take more, take more, you're probably the only kids we'll get!"  And when we returned home, our jack-o-lanterns where warmly greeting us.  (If I was a better photog, this would look a lot cooler.)

The kids of course stuffed as much candy down their faces as possible, but when we arrived at home, they surrendered almost all of it to All Hallows Eve, the Halloween Fairy who loves candy and trades it for a toy.  If you haven't read it, its pretty cute . . .