Halloween Fun

It is that time of year--Halloween! I would say it is my favourite time of the year but I now celebrate Halloween in the spring, not the Fall so it puts a whole new perspective on things. I love Halloween, more specifically I loved that Halloween was in Fall. What American child doesn't have fond memories of picking out the perfect pumpkin from the patch, going on hayrides, hearing ghost stories while eating s'mores warmed by a campfire and of course the most pleasant sound; leaves crunching on the ground. I seriously feel all warm inside just thinking about it!

I always imagined that I would share these wonderful moments with my children someday. I had to come to the sad realisation when Lachlan was born that those would not be his memories; that his would be much different. Leaves do not change colour that much in Australia, if at all, and finding a tree that actually drops enough leaves to jump in is like finding a needle in a haystack. And there is again that whole Halloween falling in spring which all together just doesn't feel right to me. Just like sipping a nice cup of hot cider doesn't feel right when it is 90 degrees outside either. Lachlan however will only know what he will grow up with. Warm Halloweens and smoldering Christmases will feel like home to him, something that I can't see myself ever understanding. It is amazing all the simply things we take for granted; like snow on Christmas and acorns in Autumn. We don't realise how much we will miss them until we experience life without them. I never thought in a million years I'd reminisce about acorns as an adult but I haven't seen one for so long and I think about how I used to love to collect them when I was a child and save them for the squirrels in the winter...squirrels, something else I miss!

This year was Lachlan's first memory making experience regarding Halloween. Last year he was only 8 months old so he couldn't get involved in anything. Halloween typically hasn't been celebrated in Australia either. It hasn't been until the last few years that shops even started carrying costumes. Trick-or-treaters are rare and when they do arrive at your door step they just stand there looking at you like a deer in headlights dazed and confused. I find myself instructing them on what to say and what to do. "Say 'trick-or treat?', Now you may take some candy from this bucket." Some children I even had to dismiss as they weren't sure what to do when they got the candy. "Okay, have fun. Happy Halloween!" They still stand there in a daze. "Perhaps the neighbours are home..." Finally they snap from their comatose state and walk slowly down my porch not sure of what just happened. Such a far cry from my childhood where we generally followed behind a mob of other kids and tried to make our way to the front door, stretching our arms through any place in the crowd it would squeeze. The goal was simple...feel around until you felt crinkly plastic wrappers, clinch and withdrawal as fast as you can without dropping any candy. We'd shove it in our candy bags and make our way to the next house. The children here take inventory of what they just received; they are rookies. We professionals knew to take what you could and evaluate the goods later, wasting no time.

We didn't take Lachlan trick-or-treating this year. We aren't big into sweets for toddlers especially since he has no idea what the purpose of the tradition is. Also he does not like to dress up at all so why make him do it. Perhaps next year he'll be more comfortable with the idea. We did however buy a few pumpkins (which were imported, I might add and pricey!) for us to carve. I was looking forward to seeing how Lachlan would engage in the experience as he is not a fan of things gooey. The kid asks for a napkin if he gets yogurt on his finger; I didn't see gooey, stringy pumpkin guts hitting a homerun for him...and I was right. He was intrigued by the initial process however. He watched curiously as I carved the top off the pumpkin as was very eager to remove it to see what was inside. He removed the lid and placed it back on when he began to see the stringy lid. I took the top off again and he took a step back, leaned forward very carefully, not getting too close and took a peep inside. He was okay with everything until I began to scoop the goop. He really didn't like it and insisted that I put it back inside. In the end, he took a bath, went to bed and I carved his pumpkin later that night.

 Perhaps next year will be more exciting for him. I just can't help but to think that there was an important element missing for Lachlan. Kids just aren't meant to get their pumpkins in the produce aisle at Woolworth's and have it sitting behind them in the shopping cart why I move on looking for the milk aisle. Perhaps Lachlan just didn't bond with his pumpkin. Afterall he didn't get to search the patch for the perfect one and have it cut right then and there from its lifeline. He never could claim it as his own. I'm sure this is just a bunch of American sentimentality talking which my Aussie friends may not understand and heck, Lachlan might never understand it either. But if there is a will, there is a way and I'm determined to one day have this kid get lost in a pumpkin patch while his mommy is snapping photo after photo for his memory book. Perhaps one day. Until then...Happy Halloween!

P.S.

 To gear up for Halloween Lachlan and I have been doing a lot of fun Halloween activities: we painted pumpkins on canvas, made Halloween cookies, read various children's Halloween themed books and also sang finger plays. Here is one of Lachlan's favourites below. Perhaps your child will enjoy it as well...

Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, 'Oh my! It's getting late.'
The second one said, 'There are witches in the air.'
The third one said, 'We're not scared.'
The fourth one said, 'It's Halloween fun!'
The fifth one said, ' Let's run, run, run!'