Halloweeners

This Halloween was exciting for a couple of reasons. First, we were back in a country that celebrates this great (FREE CANDY - COME ON!) occasion; Australia doesn't! Most importantly, this was the first year Lucy was big enough to come along for the trick or treating. And finally, it was our first Halloween in our new home.

We kicked the day off by tracking down seemingly the last three pumpkins in the Hamilton area (the first three stores we tried were sold out; we ended up calling around and reserving some pumpkins). Tan and the girls carved up the pumpkins while I was at work - Lucy's would be the one with the scribbly pattern on the left:




As I was getting the pumpkins lit, the Trick or Treaters were raring to start the candy collection rounds:



Tan and Joely applied their make-up (Joely went out as DeeDee Doodle)....



And then struck the pose...



For the record, that's the angriest DeeDee Doodle I've ever seen. And Tan's vampire turn scared the bejeebers out of Lucy...she was cowering in my legs and wouldn't go near her undead mother.

We had one of those easy, slip-on costumes for Lucy (a kangaroo), but at the last moment she showed her two year old colours and decided that there was no way she was putting a costume on. She rather insisted on wearing her Elmo backpack. So rather than argue with her, we rationalized that she was going as a "student" and it was all good.

We covered a few blocks in the neighbourhood, and got to meet some new neighbours along the way. At first, Lucy would just hold open her bag, but by the end of the night she had gotten the hang of it, boldly stating "trick or treat" just like her big sister. We came home, had a few treats to celebrate the haul, and it was off to bed. Another Halloween in the bag.