We have a CD of holiday music for kids.  On it is a song that sings repeatedly "Halloween, Halloween, What Does it mean."   (Actually, a rather annoying song).  One day last week,  after I found myself singing/humming this irritatingly rhyming line out loud, Ethan asked me, "Mom, what does Halloween mean?"

What I thought: "Well, actually, it is a day that we honor and celebrate ghosts, demons, and scary creatures of all kinds, and we walk around asking people for candy, by telling them that we will play a trick on them if they don't oblige.  And we love it.  Halloween is so much fun."

What I said:  "It means All Hallows Eve."  Thankfully, that was a sufficient answer.

We actually had a wonderful Halloween this year, as we got to celebrate it twice:  Once the week before at a triple birthday party at Grandma's house, and the second time last night at our church Halloween party where the kids got to go "trunk-or-treating" from car to car in our church parking lot.

Triple Birthday for Buzz (huh, why is my dad putting me in a funny plastic suit?), a police man (holding his new knight sword and shield), and a zookeeper (in the background)

The party has started (minus Elaine and Josh).  If you are ever in a photo with a large pregnant woman, please remind her not to sit in the front row so that she won't have to resort to pasting a large pumpkin in the photo.

Gotta love wigs

Visiting the farm