There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.

 ~Robert Brault

It has been a delightful, if incredibly full several days preparing for and celebrating All Hallow's Eve.  We read stories from Carolyn Haywood's Halloween Treats at lunchtime over several days.  The boys and Dad carved pumpkins one evening while I was able to sit in the relative quiet of the living room having a heart to heart with a military  mom friend who dropped by.  

The little girls and I tackled pumpkin painting this year as well. In typical me fashion we tackled this for the first time on Halloween day itself.  Seat of my pants sort of girl <g>  We struck out with the stencilled pumpkin but Minnie was a great success.  While we had pumpkins on the brain I brought out Thomas Locker's Family Farm. 

Then we finished our costumes and took the children to the local military base for treat or trick.  (I have shared before that trick or treat is a highly personal and highly controversial topic, one I have waffled on over the course of 28yrs of parenting.  This article best describes where we are with it these days.)  We are so grateful to have a huge, safe community celebration to attend. There was music and hot cocoa and crafts and neighbors.  It makes for a very Peanut's Great Pumpkin sort of  holiday.  This definitely isn't an option everyplace so our plans adapt as we move around. 

and since I am not above making a fool of myself to make my children laugh….