Halloween 2014

Halloween seems to grow bigger each year, the costumes become that little bit more extravagant, the candy transforms into spooky surprises and you see more and more decorations popping up welcoming trick or treater’s.

2014 was Leo’s third Halloween experience, and as with everything else, this Halloween was extra exciting because he could get more involved than ever before. This year we had been invited along to a friend’s Halloween party, and although Leo had reservations earlier that day when presented with his Halloween costume, it only took me bribing him with a bucketful of Halloween sweets to get him to wear it… And you know what? Once he was wearing it he had the best time! The initial reservations were that he didn’t want to be scary, he told me ‘I want to be Leo!’. After explaining that he was still Leo and that he would be able to go trick or treating for the very first time he waved those initial fears away.

Unlike previous years where I have carved my own pumpkins, this year time ran away and I neglectfully forgot to purchase a single pumpkin. Leo didn’t seem to mind as he was far too excited about the party he was attending later that evening. We made our way over only to find that the host had gone all out, the house was dressed to the nines and the driveway lit with pumpkins welcoming guests.

Leo was away like a shot, no fear just pure excitement. He had awoken from his nap only half hour before we left and the first thing he had said was ‘I want to go to the party!’. So here he was finally at the party and on the hunt for cake. He didn’t have to look for long to discover where it all was, and he soon found a very festive Halloween spread laid out in the kitchen.

With darkness consuming the daylight on this All Hallows Eve night, we disappeared off into the night for Leo’s very first Trick Or Treating experience. Leo being the youngest at 3 years old followed the lead of the older children as they began to decide where to visit first. We kept our eyes peeled for signs that they wanted trick or treater’s to visit, and Leo couldn’t quite believe that knocking on the doors would reward him with sweets. I will have to make sure that he realises this is only acceptable one night a year…

Leo has such a great time running around with the bigger kids (Closely followed by myself!) and when the time came to head back to the party, he was not ready to wave goodnight to Halloween’s door knocking. I enticed him back under the pretence of cake, and that seemed to do the trick.

After everyone had indulged in Halloween dinner, more fun and games presented themselves. I had always imagined Apple Bobbing to be apples submerged in water, but the kid’s (And adults) participated in a slightly different version. The apples were all tied to string and then to the washing line in the garden. Everyone then had to eat their apple without using their hands! Of course Leo gave it a great shot.. Even if he did proceed using both hands!

Halloween concluded with one sugar filled 3 year old drifting off to sleep after a rather amazing evening, full of the spooky and unexpected.

Until next year…