Man! With a boy like that how could you not enjoy Halloween! Michael has been so excited about getting dressed up and carrying around his sword and his pumpkin pail. Although I don't think he really understood what was happening, the significance of the occasion, he was having a great time anyway! (I just loved watching him run down the sidewalk, trying to catch up to his brothers, with his Musketeer cape flapping in the breeze. He made walking through the neighborhood such a delight!)My older boys weren't quite as enthusiastic about the whole process of getting dressed, putting on costumes, being careful not to hit anyone with their sword, posing for pictures, knocking on doors, and "what were we supposed to say again?"
David and Donovan took more coaxing to get them started into the Halloween and trick-or-treating mode. But don't let the sullen faces fool you for a moment. It only took about 9 or 10 doors before they understood the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating and then they were off like a freight train!
We heard from Grandma Petersen that her neighborhood was fantastic for trick-or-treating last year so we decided we would visit her neighborhood this year. We practiced some door approaches on Grandma's house but the boys reaction was less than enthusiastic. Then we headed off to the "next one" down the street. Michael was cruising along, David and Donovan were dragging their feet and Aleky was just along for the ride. At the next door we rang the doorbell and the boys just stood there. Fortunately their costumes spoke volumes, the neighbors oohed and awed over the boys (and their costumes) and the nice lady gave them some candy. The oohs and awes (about the costumes) made Michelle smile but didn't do much for the boys.
Off to the next house and the next house we went. We passed other costumed spirits and the boys saw them perform the Halloween ritual: knock/ring the doorbell, "yell" trick-or-treat, get candy, move on to the next house with haste. After about 9 or 10 doors David and Donovan understood the ritual and we couldn't keep up after that. David didn't quite get the verbiage correct ("trick-or-treating"). Donovan was great for the "Thank you" and "Happy Halloween" after getting candy. Michael would just grabbed a second candy.They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach; well the way to a boys heart is with candy! Our boys made out like bandits and they had a moment of elation as they brooded over the booty! Then the candy was confiscated, to be eaten in moderation through the coming year! (Yes, it was mean to take all the candy but you have to admit that two full large mixing bowls of candy is more than any boy should eat in one sitting!)
The best moment of Halloween for me was the "Gorilla" in the front lawn. Toward the end of the neighborhood we happened upon a house that had a Halloween decoration in the front yard, out near the sidewalk. Of course David and Donovan arrived long before Michael, Aleky, Michelle and I. But this was a new concept for them and it was so big that they didn't quite know what to do about it.
This gorilla was sitting on a chair right next to the public sidewalk and the sidewalk leading up to the house. I think curiosity kept them from just walking around it and proceeding up to the house. It was great to watch them approach the gorilla, then back away, then walk around it, then back away. Michelle and I caught up to the boys (and we were thoroughly enjoying the moment) and encouraged them to just proceed to the door. But they just could get past this gorilla. All the people in the enclosed porch we quieting each other so they could hear our dialog. It was reaching a comical status. When all of a sudden the gorilla almost lurched forward, uttering a brief grunt! I say almost because the gorilla's movements were almost imperceptible but that was enough to cause Michelle to scream, the boys to flee and left me in stitches (from laughter).
By this point the boys were almost beyond coaxing to get them to pass the now live gorilla and go to the door. The people on the porch were laughing and thought it was great. We did finally manage to get to the door and I think we got extra candy there because of our "show." The most incredible part of the gorilla was that he never moved more than his hand the entire time! I just feel bad I wasn't able to capture that moment on camera!
