Free Candy! Free Candy!

NJ's first trick-or-treat excursion took place yesterday on a few blocks up from our home, where businesses throw open their doors to little goblins and superheroes for a few hours in the afternoon. Our Butterfly Witch trudged up the steep hill that leads to Greenwood Avenue for the first time.

Just hang on to the hat, Mommy. I'll let you know when I need it.

The walk uphill wore her out a little bit, and for the first few stops she was a little cranky. She also wasn't completely up to speed on how the whole trick-or-treat thing works to start -- her skills improved ten-fold as the event wore on.

So I can just reach in here and take anything, is that what you're telling me? I can just take it and move on to the next free candy distributor? Really, now?

In particular, once NJ realized that people were just giving sweets away she started approaching doorways confidently and not reluctantly. And when it sank in that she could keep all of her candy in her orange bag, she stopped insisting on carrying each piece in her hand (this happened, of course, when the candy-holding capacity of her hands reached critical mass and she couldn't hold another piece). And perhaps the biggest lesson of all -- you don't have to bite and chew lollipops to enjoy them.

This sucker might last all day!

NJ is a very discerning trick-or-treater, often spending a minute or so deciding just which piece of candy to pluck out of a big bowl. She was so into it that she had to be steered clear of one bag of treats because it belonged to another trick-or-treater.

The last stop on the hour-long tour was at an ice cream shop that opened a couple of weeks ago (they didn't exactly hit their "Opening for summer!" goal), where the kid and The Wife sampled some pumpkin-chocolate chip ice cream. The reviews were positive, especially when the chocolate was discovered.

Oh yeah!

The real test comes tomorrow night, when Butterfly Witch hits the neighborhood for the first time. I'm hoping she gets lots of Reese's and Snickers. Because at Halloween, dads are like mob bosses -- they get a hefty take.

Glenda The Good Witch Was A Child Once, Too, Right?

NJ put her Halloween costume on this past weekend for a reunion with four other toddlers who were about to be born when their parents all met at a Lamaze training weekend in late June 2009. (Worst. Sentence. Ever. I know. I'm listening to the new Tom Waits and feeling a little semi-discombobulated.) (Semi-discombobulated in a good way.) Here's what she looks like this season dressed as, in her words, a "butterfly witch":

I told Mommy and Daddy I'd turn them into pumpkins if I didn't get a cookie. I TOLD THEM!

The butterfly witch partied with a monster, an octopus, a bumblebee and a butterfly. Everyone had a grand time, as far as I know, and our hostess deserves a hearty round of applause. It's been really nice to watch our kids grow up simultaneously for the past two years -- why, it seems like just yesterday blah blah blah. All the parents are good people and it's fun to compare how our kids are growing up, get advice (POTTY TRAINING was a big topic), brag on your angel and listen to them brag on theirs.

NJ scarfed a couple of muffins, threw a mini-tantrum when the notion of sharing a toy didn't appeal to her, did a lot of charming stuff, and changed out of her dress and into clothes more appropriate for outdoor play:

Don't you just hate it when an octopus blocks your way on the slide?

This year will be NJ's first experience with trick-or-treating on the block, and I'm looking forward to it more than she is (obviously, because she doesn't know now to read a calendar yet, but still). For years I've been opening my door, dishing out candy, and looking over the kids' heads to the sidewalk. Where the parents stand, beaming and watching their little one get gifted with handfuls of sugar.

Speaking of candy -- don't skip any two-story houses (last item on list).

Bon Appétit!

... and Happy Halloween!

I will not tolerate smart-alecks in my kitchen. No imitation crab meat and no smart-alecks!