Halloween

As part of the Halloween festivities I was to be judge of the best pumpkin melon (Stuff tradition- pumpkins are a waste and melon is a treat for the kids as they hollow theirs out) competition among the kids. Given that I did not want to disappoint any of them I decided rather than best I would judge on best in category of which there were three I decided- scariest, best and most Halloweeny (Yes I know but as parents one perk is the allowance to make up your own words). I was also supposed to guess who made which melon face but despite the fact it was not hard to tell between the work of a 5, 8 and 10 year old the cheers on announcing each winner sort of gave it away. They all went away content though and full of melon.

The boy's one had rather clustered features a bit like his writing which is crammed into the smallest of areas. The bestly made (I can't help myself) was the oldest girl's of course so the youngest girl's fell somewhere in the middle. They later went on to the usual dooking for apples, blind man's buff and a rather unusual game my wife thought up of wrap the mummy which entailed a speed round of wrapping her head up in a large bandage. Not the best idea for someone who experiences claustrophobia- which she did with a head completely bandaged up. The kids enjoyed it though.

It did feel more like Halloween this year. We even had our first ever knock at the door. In true Halloween spirit we ignored it- bah, humbug! I have been going for my last walk of the day around six or seven at night but went earlier so as not to get accosted or look too out of place among the later guisers. It was strange. The only taste I get each year of Halloween, apart from indoors, is at the local supermarket bedecked in all its Halloween wares but walking around this year there were lots of decorations in windows of homes and doors and pumpkins in gardens. There were even guisers out with a parent at team time as I walked through the estates.

A shame the kids cannot go out though on such a night but later it mattered little as they were warm outside while it blew a gale of wind and rain outside. I think back to chapping doors when I was younger. Something they have never experienced. Maybe some day if all goes well and we find ourselves somewhere else they will experience it for themselves.