HALLOWEEN 09 (warning this is a long post)

Yesterday we had our trunk or treat for the Primary. That's what you get when you call the American to be the Primary president (the person over the little ones at Church) - gotta bring some Halloween fun to the land down under. No they don't usually celebrate this holiday - it is pagan after all.

I have to admit that we do the trunk or treat for my purely selfish reasons.
1. How else would my kids celebrate Halloween?
2. We have to do a activity in the last quarter anyway
3. It is so easy to plan and follow through
4. I LOVE Halloween!!!

This is our second year of planning the trunk or treat as a Primary activity - the first year we were here it was just thrown together and it was so much fun we decided to take it on as our Primary activity for the last quarter of the year. We had some great costumes and a good turn out even though it was a hot afternoon. We did a little carnival before the trunk or treat just as we did last year. Lucky for us Lisha was a smarty pants and kept all our props from last year - the beanbag toss pumpkin and the pin the wart on the witch posters. We added a few extra things this year: a costume parade, bobbing for apples, and hanging cheezels. We also did a cupcake walk and face painting just as we did last year. I didn't get pictures of everything, but will show you two of my favorite games we played.
I even got in on the action for the bobbing for apples. It has been a long time since I have done that. They told me I cheated because I grabbed it by the stem. Just doing it the smart way I say! Rylee gave bobbing for apples a try and then just reached in and grabbed her apple - silly girl. Hanging cheezels is a play on the donut game we always seem to play at kids parties around Halloween back home. Instead of a sticky donut you have to eat without using your hands we used cheezels (they are a bit like round cheetos).

Our family costumes: a pink princess, a jar of Nutella, 2 witches, and Dragon Ball Z.






You must have a close up of the nutella jar. That is what Cooper wanted to be. If you don't know Cooper LOVES Nutella. The kid would have a peanut butter and nutella sandwich for lunch everyday if they allowed either of those things at school. Since they are both banned at school, being made with nuts and all, he has to deal with a plain turkey sandwich or jam. Kev made it work. He is so clever.

After the trunk or treat was all cleaned up we finally headed home and cooked up some sloppy joes. We actually had a group of three kids come to our house to trick or treat - imagine our surprise and excitement!!! That is when the kids thought it would be fun to go up and down our street. Kev went with them while I finished up dinner.

Funny things about trick or treating in a country that doesn't really celebrate Halloween

1. You have to wait a few minutes at each door as they frantically go searching for something to put into your bag

2. You end up chatting with every neighbor about how big your kids have gotten - makes trick or treating last forever

3. You may get a box of rice crackers instead of candy - a whole box to share amongst all of you

4. If you are lucky your neighbors won't have any candy, but they will feel bad and give you money instead

5. You don't get nearly as much candy - this makes mom and your teeth happy!

6. You get to wear flip flops with your costume, and you don't have to wear your winter coat over the top so nobody can see what you are anyway.

7. The old lady across the street doesn't have any candy, but she does have some nuts. After getting the okay from daddy she heads inside to get them. Then proceeds to tell you to open your hands and she pours some in from out of her jar. At least you get instant satisfaction from that house!

All in all it was a fabulous Halloween come and gone. Until next year when we can celebrate Halloween with the masses!!!

P.S. from Kev -

At one of the houses Rylee was a little slow going in getting up the long flight of stairs to get to the front door. By the time we had got there the man had already gone back inside to "search for something" for the kids. When he comes back I hear him say under his breath, "Oh... I didn't know there were more." He then proceeds to give Madz and Coop their candy and says to me, "You know, we don't celebrate Halloween here is in Australia."

After saying good bye Rylee all of a sudden yells, "Hey, what about me?" as she didn't ever get any candy. The man looked at me I and I just shrugged my shoulders. He then sighed and went back in to get a big candy bar. Must have been all he could find. Lucky girl and good for her speaking up!