Mom, Dad, Grandma and I carved pumpkins while waiting for Halloween to officially start.
There was a lot of pumpkin goo. Mom roasted the seeds but I’m still too little to eat them.
Grandma drew the face on my pumpkin.
Paw Paw “participated” from Boston.
The whole event was pretty traumatic for me at first. I cried and kept saying “hurt punk-kin.” I LOVED our pumpkins and I just couldn’t understand why Dad wanted to take a jigsaw to them (and yes, he used a jigsaw to CUT the tops off!).
Nini and Pop Pop came over and I finally got to get into my Halloween costume. I was a monster this year. ROAARRRR.
Of course there were lots of family pictures. Always family pictures.
Then, off I went!
I ran into my friend (and next-door neighbor) Griffin. Isn’t his costume cool?
I kept admiring my green monster feet and walked v.e.r.y. s.l.o.w.l.y.
We only made it to five houses. Here I am at the house across the street.
Nini and Pop Pop gave me yogurt melts and a schoolhouse toy that I play with all the time now.
After I went trick-or-treating, I helped pass out candy while …
the grownups enjoyed Dad’s famous chili—outside!
Paw Paw joined in from Boston.
Mom lit the pumpkins once it got dark.
It got very cold but laps and my quilt kept me warm.
As little kids do, eventually I got tired of sitting so Pop Pop walked up and down the sidewalk with me.
Then we had to go in. And I did not want to go in. I cried and screamed and kept trying to push the front door open. Finally milk and my new schoolhouse toy calmed me. Mom kept using a big word—”over-stimulation.”
During the days that followed I discovered I really like Reese’s peanut butter cups. For a week Mom would ask me every morning what I wanted for breakfast—oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, toast, a banana, etc. I always requested “pun-kin” (that’s where my Reese’s peanut butter cups were). But for some reason Mom has some silly rule about no chocolate for breakfast. I bet if I had worn my monster costume, though, I would have scared her into it.
Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,
All are on their rounds tonight;
In the wan moon’s silver ray,
Thrives their helter-skelter play.
—Joel Benton
