belated.

Halloween happened, a few weeks ago.  I was a little nervous how it would go with having school the next day and school the day of and school school school school school.

The kids had a Halloween party at school the Saturday before where they got to get dressed up and eat pizza and run around with all the other kids in their grade for an hour and a half before they had to clear out and let the next grade come in and do the same.  They set up the (adjoining) ballet and violin studios (there's no gym at the school) and hired a DJ and everyone had a really good time. 
I so want to comment on how a lot of the little girls wore latexish superherogirl costumes or corseted witch/animal/princess tutu ensembles.  Corsets?  Really?  It's a little to burlesque for my taste.  They weren't real corsets of course, but they were lacy and laced up and super shiny and it made me a little uncomfortable.  But I'm not one to comment.

One of the moms at the party dressed up like a bunny.  She was about 15 years and 15 pounds past her prime bunny days but that didn't stop her.

Sunday we went out to the burbs to some friends house for the Halloween Parade in their town.  I expected a parade with fire trucks and Shriners and fancy olden timey cars and candy being thrown at the kids, but it turns out We Were the Parade.  Everyone dresses up and walks through town and it's really dark and spooky because it's the suburbs and they don't believe in street lights at regular intervals.  Jake had lots of fun, I would have preferred it to be in the daytime so you could see all the costumes, but what do I know?  Nothing.  We'll probably go back next year, provided they do it on a weekend again.

Monday the little kids had a Halloween Parade around the neighborhood at the school.  Parents volunteered to hand out candy every few feet and the older kids lined the parade route and high fived and clapped and told the kids how awesome they looked.  You have never seen sixty-some five- and six- year-olds look happier and more proud in your life.

I almost cried.

It was ridiculous. 

I was ridiculous.

Jake was a ninja. 

I wasn't thrilled with his choice, but he made a pretty adorable ninja.  He took his ninjaing quite seriously and hardly broke character all night.  We went down to his aunt's house like we always do.  She lives less than a mile down our street but it's more fun there than it is in our neighborhood. 
 

This one is my favorite:

At the end of the night I let him have five unadulterated minutes of candy snarfing,

but he gave up after about a minute and a half and went to the kitchen to get himself a bowl of soup.

That's Jacob for you.