Pumpkin Play

To get J interested/excited about Halloween and pumpkin picking/carving, I made a few Jack'o'lantern flannel pieces. It's kind of fun coming up with different combos!

Trick or Treat

Whew! What a fun-filled day! J (a.k.a. Frankenstein) had an exciting and sugar-filled day today on his second Halloween. We visited Daddy at school and "made his day", while we cheered the kids on during the Walk-A-Thon.

The bank teller surprised J with a sucker, which he then clutched triumphantly for hours, shouting "Happy Halloween Hucker!" At Panera, Mama splurged on his favorite treat--a blueberry muffin, while the costumed workers fawned over J and gave him cookies.

We burned some of the energy off playing in the yard after lunch. J slid down the slide and played his new favorite game, hayride. Despite all the sugar, he did take a nap, albeit a shorter one than usual, and woke up demanding "more hucker"...

The day ended blissfully. The evening was cool and crisp, jack'o'lanterns were lit, and we were able to relax and enjoy the excitement in the air during Trick or Treat.

J immediately caught on to the concept of passing out candy--he was a pro. As trick-or-treaters made their way up our driveway, J rummaged through the candy bowl seeking the good stuff--he wasn't going to be caught dead passing out tootsie roll pops or smarties. Nope; he pulled out a Nestle Crunch bar everytime.

Later, however, a thought occurred to me--perhaps this was J's way of hoarding all the tootsie roll pops for himself! At any one time, he had two in his hand and was coveting the ones Daddy and I were eating as well. When we refused to let him have anymore, he went through the bowl, grabbed a couple, bent the sticks, and then pronounced them 'broken', as if that meant we would acquiesce.

What a smartie...

freakin cute frankenstein

Here's our plan for J's Halloween costume, courtesy of Parenting magazine!

Freakin' Cute Frankenstein Halloween Costume

A no-sew costume any parent can make

By Ellen Goldberg, Parenting

You'll need:

• 1 yard green felt
  
• Fabric glue
  
• Silver-painted spools
  
• A scrap red felt
  
• Faux fur
  
• Black sweatpants
  
• Gray T-shirt
  
• Dark sports jacket

Hat: Cut a piece of green felt long enough to wrap around your child's head and 12 to 16 inches wide. Fold in half lengthwise so the hat is 6 to 8 inches tall; glue sides together to form a cylinder. Cut two more pieces of green felt about 6 inches wide and 8 inches long to create the neckpiece. Glue one strip to each side of the hat on the inside; glue silver spools in the middle of each piece for neck bolts (you'll tuck the ends inside his shirt or jacket). Cut a "scar" out of red felt, and glue to the hat. Place faux fur across the top, and glue in place around edges. Trim to desired style.

Body: Dress child in sweatpants, and cut jagged edges at the bottom. Top with T-shirt and jacket.