Goat!

If you asked two-and-a-half-year-old Sprout, this week, what he was going to be for Hallowe'en, he would say consistently, "I going to be goat!" which translates into 'I'm going to be a ghost.' Despite having tried on and having liked the Mexican costume that I put together for him, and despite having had many conversations with me about being a Mexican for Hallowe'en. "I going to be goat!"

He was the cutest little Mexican. His daytime caregiver, Auntie, spent the day drilling all the kids on the importance of using their manners when trick or treating, so he was also a very charming and polite trick or treater. The police chief lives down the street from us, and when he opened his door and said, "Now, what can I do for you?", Sprout answered, "You could give me candy. Please." It was very funny.

Because of the cold weather and the rain, we had very few kids to our door, so by the end of the night Jim was giving them quadruple portions. "Wow! Wagon Wheels!! And you're very generous, thank you!" All children are thrilled to get Wagon Wheels for Hallowe'en, by the way; I don't personally understand the attraction, but Jim - being an eternal five-year-old - always remembers and insists.

I completely forgot to dress up for work, but there were a few great costumes. A trio of my co-workers dressed as library beauty queens, with false eyelashes and banners across their chests sporting titles like "Miss-Information".

But the best Hallowe'en story around here was from the six-year-old boy who lives down the street. One day while he was playing in front of our house with Sprout, I was hanging little plastic ghosts from our tree for Hallowe'en, and Wonnie asked me, "Do you celebrate Satan's birthday? Hallowe'en is Satan's birthday, you know." Blink, blink. "Not everyone believes that, Wonnie. For some of us it's just an occasion to dress up and have fun," I said. "We believe it because it is true," said Wonnie. I tried not to come down too heavy on the child, but it was a bit silly. "It's not necessarily true, Wonnie," said me. After we stared at each other for a few minutes, the conversation turned to other things.