ION, that cheddar apple quick bread recipe is amazing. Nom.

Seriously delicious!

I don't mind the older kids coming by in whatever half assed costume or not. I can't really begrudge them wanting free candy! And all the ones who came by were polite and it's nice to have a pleasant interaction with the young people. Mostly we did have lots of littles in costume though. I didn't get home until 730 and it wasn't crazy busy. I put the candy in the kids' bags (most of them won't even reach for it) and my emphasis was on getting rid of it quickly so I could go inside and make food. 2 big bags gone in about 1/2 an hour!

I wished I'd saved one piece of something though. I'd love a little something sweet to eat right now! ... just remembered we have an open bag of caramel corn in the pantry. uh oh.

This will go poof shortly.

insent. I think.

Oh, hey, surly teenagers without costumes who cleaned out my candy bowl.

Then they came up here and stole the bowl we put out after HKF went to bed and we turned off the light. HMPH. Not just the candy. The bowl, too.

I kinda can't believe that Laura Bush and Colin Powell appeared on the same ticket as a guy who pretty much has to be a teach-you-how-to-spam guy, an aggressive stock instructor, and someone who teaches you how to flip trailer parks.

We did not get Laura Bush. But we did have Colin Powell and Bill Cosby.

Damn it, that reminded me I wanted to watch Fear, Itself.

Actual Size!!!

Thining about Halloween, I don't quite understand why I LOVE true crime documentaries and books, and I like things with a supernatural bent, but I am completely indifferent to horror. I don't think I have ever willingly watched a horror movie, because they are too scary. But I watch true crime documentaries to help me fall asleep.

I guess I'm a big meanie. No one gets to pick candy from a bowl. I drop candy into bags, pumpkins whatever. When I go to bed, the porch light goes out and no more candy. The flip side of not refusing candy to anyone who is minimally polite.

And his little girl said, "No, Daddy, we're not allowed to go to houses with unmembers."

Ugh. That just ruins things, for the kids and your husband.

I guess I'm a big meanie. No one gets to pick candy from a bowl. I drop candy into bags, pumpkins whatever.

Same here. Good costumes get extra candy, but no one gets to grab from the bowl.

I don't mind the older kids coming by in whatever half assed costume or not. I can't really begrudge them wanting free candy!

Yeah, my neighborhood is pretty poor in some areas, so I'm not going to begrudge a kid a fun-size Snickers bar, no matter what he's wearing. As long as he's polite, which they generally are. Some are mumbly, but not mean. Just that adolescent look-at-your-feet-and-mumble thing. But most managed an audible "trick or treat" and they all said "thank you."

One toddler was adorable, because he wouldn't say "trick or treat," and couldn't quite get out "thank you," and when his mom prompted him again with "What do we say?" he suddenly yelled, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" Worked for me.

Damn it, that reminded me I wanted to watch Fear, Itself.

I watch that and Halloween every year, but I got rid of a bunch of my Buffy DVDs when I moved and only have seasons 1, 3, and 7.

No one gets to pick candy from a bowl.

Yeah, that's going to be my practice from here on out. I never would have dared as a kid.

How did the little girl know?

I suspect they had a run-down yesterday in Sunday School about trick or treating safety and how to know which houses are "safe". I doubt it was phrased as "don't go to the Neils' house" as much of "It's much safer to go to the houses of families you know from church." Which even a 5-year-old can interpret in the way it's meant.

I just grabbed handfuls, though if someone voiced a preference "Oh, you have twix!" I'd pick those out for them. And there was the exhausted grandma who looked like she needed a boost wrangling her rambunctious charges. "Come get a handful of your favorites..."

Anna let the really cute costumes pick out their favorites. You shoulda seen their faces. She totally makes a game of it. Also, if they like her favorites, they get more of them (so they don't remain and tempt her.)

Pumpkin is staking out a Loki, who is still sleeping in the carrier. It's hilarious.