Ah Halloween…
… has come and gone. I was excited about Halloween this year because it would have been Alice’s, my two-years-and-a-bit-old daughter, first real Halloween, with costumes, trick-or-treats and candy candy candy!
We got her this cute devil-witch costume, with horns, tail and a dress. Admittly she hasn’t been in the mood. More teeth are coming up, she has a bit of a cold and she’s not liking being home after spending the night in Grannies. In the morning, it was a struggle to get her up. When she was up and dressed in her costume (the crèche were having a little Halloween party), she wanted to take it all off. Anyway, we got here into the crèche and off she went, getting the “awws” and “oos” as expected!
Enter problem 1. We left work at the normal time. Which is close to 6pm. The trick-or-treaters generally start at 6pm. We should have left earlier.
Enter problem 2. It was bloody freezing. I waited for my wife, Sophie, to pick me up outside and after ten minutes I was chattering my teeth and doing mini-squats to try and stay warm! We couldn’t let Alice outside in this weather with the flimsy costume we had bought her! We kinda decided that we wouldn’t take her trick-or-treating tonight. She was still too young and probably wouldn’t get it.
But, my god, she was full of beans when we picked her up. They had made a little trick-or-treat bag during the day and she clung to it like it was treasure. And as we arrived home, kids descended on the house asking for sweets. The costumes were great and there was a buzz on the street. So we went to plan B (invented on the spur of the moment). Warm red coat and the horns and tails from her costume. She got the idea of trick-or-treating straight away. Asking for more from the first house and in the second house walked, bold as brash, into the house. Returning with her prize, she decided to try and taste all the sweets! Bit of parental control needed there.
Then she wanted to see the “big fires” (for those who don’t speak toddler, that’s fireworks). So I carried her outside, in her big red coat. But the sounds, the explosions and the lights frightened her. The “big fires” became “scary fires”.
And then she went to bed, of her own accord mostly. She didn’t want dinner and she was cranky and tired.
So endth Alice’s first real Halloween.
– Got some great photos too, but haven’t had the chance to post them yet. You’ll just have to use your imagination! 
