Halloween results and thoughts

[celticdragonfly]

Here's Maggie in her unicorn/pegasus costume.

She was being rather dubious about the whole thing.

While answering the door before the kids left, I saw two other little girls in unicorn/pegasus costumes, one was identical to Maggie's. I was wondering how many I'd see, but I didn't see any more after that.

I did wonder if a desire to not be upstaged was what was upsetting Maggie.




The Evil Overlord in Training!

I was afraid he wouldn't be warm enough, so I picked up yarn late last night and knit up the black watch
cap in a big hurry, finishing it this afternoon. He pulled it off at home, but Karl reports he didn't give
any trouble about the hat and gloves while he was outside in the cold. So I feel like I did a good job
by him.

The adorable cape that is the essential part of the costume was made by our friend Sandy Tyra. It's
wonderful!




Here's a better shot of the cape.

She was inspired to make it for him because he has such a delightful Evil Laugh.

When Karl and the kids got back to me at our front door, Jamie got candy from me and then turned to head back down the sidewalk - he seemed to be raring to go for more!

Karl reports that they had been tired up until then, and he'd been carrying Jamie. So that was enough and they went inside.





Here's Maggie after Trick-or-treating, seeming reasonably reconciled to it once she had plenty of candy.

Note for Karl for next year - we gave out 7 bags of candy. And next year, not the kisses or mini-reeses cups, stuff that has to be torn open rather than just unwrapped.



selenite went out with the kids, since I clearly am not up to that yet. I was staying home to hand out candy. selenite had been kind enough to bring down from our bedroom the big wooden chair that has been the most comfortable thing for me to sit in lately, and set me up with that, a wooden tray table, bowl of candy, and my sock knitting. After a couple door answers, I decided to move the whole thing outside to be more visible. Our front door is a bit tucked back away from the house, as I realize at Halloween when it seems lots of kids pass by our house and don't realize we're playing. The only decoration we have is a little ceramic pumpkin that goes over a candle. selenite did put that out in the yard more easily visible from the sidewalk, on top of an upside-down pot. I figured better to get outside and more visible. I'm glad I did, it made me feel more a part of things and I enjoyed myself more, and had time for lots of thinky thoughts.

I got a number of kids doing it for the first time. I think I must have looked like an ideal house for parents to direct wee little ones to - clearly playing, clearly an adult there waiting, a motherly-looking woman, the kid didn't have to ring the doorbell or risk getting rebuffed. But also we didn't have heavy scary decorations, or look like there would be anything to jump out or make scary noises. The wee little ones were adorable. I'd wait a moment to see if they could say trick-or-treat yet, or prompt them gently, then give them the candy and smile and tell them happy Halloween whether they could or not. One little girl was adorable - I asked her if she could say Trick-or-treat. She looked up at me wide-eyed and shook her head no. I gave her candy, and she said softly "thank you." She had the important part down! Another little girl was caroling "Trick-or-treat!" as she ran up the sidewalk, clearly this was the year that she Got It! and she was so proud.

I did get cold. I went in and got the purple scarf bkseiver made me a few years ago (this one, and if you want to see something amusing, look at this, Maggie was 18 months and Jamie was 10 days old), that helped warm me up. Useful for knitting, too - if I needed to set down the working needle, I just stuck it in the scarf. After selenite was inside with the kids, he brought me his jacket and the gloves I loaned them, but it's hard to knit in the gloves, so I mostly kept those off. I had him bring me hot chocolate later. We went through all the candy, and some of our own candy I had squirreled away. But then I try to give generous handfuls rather than just one piece. The last batch was a bunch of teenage boys with only a thin pretense at costumes - I know back in Los Angeles, it would have made me feel afraid, here I just laughed with them and handed them candy.

I was feeling envious of so many of my friends who have spent this weekend at costume parties and having fun. They get to have fun and be around people and be admired and all that. Heck, I envied those who could even have a fun costume and go trick-or-treating with their kids. But I reminded myself that I should focus on being grateful that I'm recovered enough from surgery that I could be downstairs and sitting long enough to do this.

I pretty much finished up the baby sock I was working on, too. I don't know how much of a KIP (Knitting In Public) it is when you're sitting at your own front door, but it's fun anyway, got a couple of comments on it.

Comments

[taerin.livejournal.com]

Cute kids and an awesome purple scarf. I give this posting a 10.0. :-)

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Why, thank you!

[phoenixsinger.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing that costume at a Walmart recently and thinking, "Hmm. This looks like just the sort of thing Maggie would like. Naah, celticdragonfly's probably got something planned." Looks like I was right.

She looks very cute in it, and I loved your idea for Jamie. Must hear that laugh sometime.

Glad you felt well enough to sit outside and knit, getting to see some of the fun.

[countrycousin.livejournal.com]

I sympathize with your missing parties. Somewhat. I much prefer to cater to the little munchkins who come calling :<) . That was my job tonight. Thanks so much for the pictures! I'm glad you were able to participate tonight.

DW is a nutrition expert and really does not like enabling kids to OD on candy. I admit she is correct, but it is just once a year, and, since I am the one who mostly answers the door, do not care to do that empty handed ;<). So we have sort of an armed truce. I bought three more bags of candy, a gesture that was not appreciated, but wound up the evening with less that that amount left.

Hope you continue to feel better.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

The ideal is to do BOTH, parties and handing out candy. The local SF group's party was Saturday night. That's the night I figured most of the people I knew were out at parties.

I stick with my dentist's recommendation - he says give the kids chocolate, it's not bad for the teeth, it's the STICKY stuff that's a problem. He told me I must keep the kids away from things like fruit roll-ups, those are the dental nightmare.

[archangelbeth]

Cute kids!

I confess to being a bit shocked that kids might be rebuffed -- isn't the Trick-or-Treat code fairly clear? If the porch light is on, then you trick-or-treat there. If not, then avoid it, 'cause no one's home, or they're out of candy.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

It's fairly clear, but there are exceptions. I've been to places where we rang and there was no answer - I remember one in south Redondo Beach that was spookily decorated, and when Brendan went up to ring the bell it caused this VERY scary noisemaker to go off, startled him terribly, and after all that nobody answered.

[firedrake-mor.livejournal.com]

I love Jamie's outfit, too -- I'm reminded of Tom Smith's "Rocket Ride":

How many xenomorphs will change their face,
And then hunt us down for a thrill?
Give me a villain with style and grace,
And a little bit of fencing skill.

They used to be angular, sneering and bald,
If someone got killed even they were appalled,
They tried to marry the heroine, no thought of rape,
And they sure as hell knew how to wear a cape.