Post-Halloween Blues

Another Halloween has come and gone. I really had fun playing with the decorations around the house this year. Mommy has a set of ghost coasters (which Daddy calls “ghosters”). I’d collect them from the various tables, line them up in a row, stack them, or just hold them up to Mommy or Daddy (or any consenting adult) and yell, “Boo!” This little game evolved into quite the ritual. I would say, “Boo!” and my victims would have to respond, “Aaaaa!” If I didn’t think that there was enough emotion in their response, I would gently remind them, “No. You say BIG ‘Aaaaaa!’” It was also fun shopping in the stores this year, too. Whenever I saw a giant spider or a ghost painted on the window, a jack-o-lantern sitting on the display table or bat balloons lining the aisles, I would ask, “What’s a [spider] say, Mommy?” (The answers were “Creepy-Crawly!” “Boo!” “Happy Halloween!” and “Eeek! Eeek!” respectively.)

We really played up the Holiday and the greater Fall Season this year. We took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch with our MOPS group early in October. There, we read stories, played on the John Deere tractor and got into an argument with another little boy who was eying the Deere while I was on it. (“That boy not get on the tractor now, Mommy.”) I also stepped into a pile of fire ants with my sandals on (it was still 87 degrees that day). I cried for about a minute, and then was ready to finish the story. I still talk about those pesky ants from the “pumpkin shack.” One of Mommy and Daddy’s friends from school had a Halloween Party with her kids and neighbors. I got to make a personalized trick-or-treat bag, decorate a mini-pumpkin, eat cupcake “brains” and “spider” crackers, and squish cascarones on my friends’ heads. We also went to the Boo Part at Sea World—I got to swashbuckle a pirate (they named me the Hawaiian Hunter of the West Sea because of my shirt) and sing songs on stage with two other silly pirates.

The Saturday before Halloween, we carved our pumpkins. Daddy carved a mean Daddy pumpkin. Mommmy carved a silly Mommy pumpkin and my wee baby pumpkin was “just right.” (I’m on a Goldilocks kick right now.) On Sunday, Daddy had to work; so that afternoon, Mommy took me to a Fall Festival at the church next door. I jumped in the bouncy castles, played the ring toss, went fishing in the fishing pond (I caught a rubber frog), and pet a baby goat and a donkey in the petting zoo. I also got to share a bag of popcorn with Mommy and eat a blue lollipop (one of my prizes) on the walk home—I think that was my favorite part! The next day, Mommy and I hosted a party for our neighbors—Carroll, Kail and Lizzie. We made fuzzy spider friends, decorated monster cookies, drank rotten apple punch, and ate “monster toes” & “spider” crackers.

I was a pilot for Halloween proper. Before Mommy and Daddy left Okinawa, Daddy bought a little pilot suit in South Korea. I just barely fit into it. Mommy would’ve been heart-broken if I hadn’t. The only problem was when I was let loose in the jumpy castle at the Fall Festival—every snap except the ankle snaps came undone (luckily, Mommy had the foresight to put a pair of my olive drab pajama shorts over my diaper.) It was an excellent way to cool down after working up a sweat during the games. That night, we went to another Fall Festival at the church down the road. I got a pumpkin painted on my face, played lots of fun carnival games (like “Rebekah’s Well” “The Walls of Jericho” and “Jonah and the Whale”). Then we came home and went trick-or-treating around the cul-de-sac. It was really fun when Daddy put the candles in our jack-o-lanterns!

All-in-all it was a successful Halloween. I even cried a little when I saw Mommy packing up the Halloween Decorations that weekend. But she convinced me I’ll like the upcoming Holidays even better!
Until then, enjoy the season!
Nate