The Great Halloween Escapade Part IV

After the pumpkin carving we played pin the nose (eyes and mouth) on the Frankenstein monster.  Some of the kids wanted to go three times.  It’s all that spinning I think….

And the monster's face certainly shows what spinning will get you!

Then it was time for the littlest of the kids to go home (and their older siblings), but the others were ready for bobbing for apples.  This was a game William requested and enthusiastically endorsed.  I was skeptical- first because I only had four somewhat dried up, apples.  Second, the last time I remember doing this in the United States, some parents wouldn't allow their kids to participate because of the germs, most kids couldn't do it, and the ones who did, didn't want to eat the apples anyway.  

But the kids were so excited- they got the water, they lined themselves up, and they decided who got to go first (oldest first this time).  There was no arguing, pushing, shoving, just FUN!  This is Auntie Joey's grandson Eldon (the black cat) ready to go first.

Auntie Joey's granddaughter (the ghoul) Nina went second.

William (aka the Green Lantern- it's okay if I tell you his identity, he is about to be unmasked) went third.

Geraldo got set to dive in.

The kids LOVED doing this almost as much as they loved the apples.  They love fruit here of any kind.  They were not shy about sticking their whole heads in the water and were all successful!

Blubb... blubb...blubb...

Princess Sharifa goes next.

And caught one!

 
As youngest, Josey got to watch everyone else but this was his first time so he got some extra technique pointers from Nina.  The wisdom of elders...

With William cheering him on, Josey is successful!

They counted the apples to see if there is enough for round two...

They counted again...

In good congregational style, they had a committee meeting...

And there enough so they were so they went for it!

A little less orderly this time-no line just jump in!

But lots of laughter...

And lots of fun!

The butterfly, Green Lantern, black cat, ghoul princess washed off.

 But it was worth it because it was nice and cool.

(Oh, I forgot to tell you the pumpkin and the apples were “miracles.”  You might have noticed in the last post- the pumpkin was green.  Pumpkins here are dark green, flat, small and scarce.  Josey grew amazing pumpkins last year- very large, and it just so happened that ONE of them was round and Helga had not already fed it to the family!   As for the apples, luckily at the last minute Garrett was on his way somewhere and brought back a bag of 8 small green apples (very sweet).  With my four there was exactly enough for the children to each bob twice! Our very own Halloween "miracles"!)

I think it was successful.  The children learned: making things for others is fun!  Surprising people and giving things to others is fun! Dreaming up a costume and making it is fun!  Dressing up and getting your face painted is fun!  Going (reverse) trick-or-treating is fun!  Drawing and coloring is fun!  Playing pin the nose on the Frankenstein monster and bobbing for apples and carving a pumpkin to make a Jack-o-lantern and eating sweets is fun!  And look: No batteries (computers, Gameboys, Playstations etc.) were used.  I think we redeemed Halloween.  I enjoyed it immensely. 

 Helga and Auntie Joey said it was fun.  In fact Helga asked, “Can the next party be for adults?”

I said, “Sure!”

But I confess, I thought: "Just as soon as I can find the energy to get off this chair and clean up the flour, icing, sprinkles, grease paint, water, candy wrappers and do the dishes- And AFTER I take a nap, I am BUSHED!"  

But isn’t that the measure of success for a party- the mess and the level of exhaustion of the hostess?!  But it was a good tired- A VERY good tired!)