Enjoying life as a family: "Encouragement for Ghosts"

"It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day; the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance. The forests had put on their sober brown and yellow, while some trees of the tenderer kind had been nipped by the frosts into brilliant dyes of orange, purple, and scarlet." Just as Mr. Irving wrote, this Halloween, though a bit cold, was nevertheless the perfect weather for Addi's trick-or-treat debut.

This was Addi's first year to really indulge in the Halloween festivities, and trust us when we say Addi is a Halloween girl!

I have to give it to Jillian, I didn't think she'd get the costume put together in time. I thought we'd be running to the store to find whatever toddler sized dragon, crayon, or Toy Story 3 costume that still had enough of its parts to pass as complete. But she picked the fabric, cut it, sewed it, and made Addi into an adorable Pebbles just in time for the big days.

Yes, I say "days" because apparently sometime between our youth and our child being old enough to participate, Halloween has grown into a multi-day event (not unlike Lent) meant to balance out the fasting anyone who celebrated that holiday 6 months earlier had to endure.

Our Adventures began three days before Halloween when Mommy took Addi to the library for dress up story-time. Mommy came home with frightening stories about overcrowded, pushy people who had brought their children. You can't win them all, but Addi loved it. She found out that people just give away candy (or "Condy" as Addi pronounces it) because you hold your bag open!

Friday was Trick-or-Treat day at Daddy's work. If you have never experienced Halloween at Melaleuca, you have missed out--different parts of the company decorated a different theme: Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the wild west, Candy Land, Toy Story 1-3, and How to Train Your Dragon. And when we say decorate, we mean that you literally can't tell where you are in the building at times. Addi loved walking through it, holding her bag open, and getting more candy!

On Saturday, we went to Addi's friend's costume birthday party and had a ton of fun decorating cupcakes, going on a scavenger hunt for candy, and making trick-or-treat bags, as well as playing with friends! We also went to Boo at the Zoo, a fun event where the children walk through the zoo and trick-or-treat to different community businesses. That evening we went took Addi trick-or-treating. We honestly didn't know how Addi would do - she is generally pretty shy around strangers. So we walked her to the first door, rang the doorbell, had her open her bag, and said "trick-or-treat!" As soon as that first lady put candy in Addi's bag, she was hooked! She and her friends ran from door to door, ringing the doorbells, yelling trick-or-treat, getting candy (and even shouting "thank you"), and running to the next house.

Needless to say, after returning home, Addi was worn out, content to help Dad hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters, and fall asleep with candy in her little fist.

Sunday passed quietly, with just a few trick-or-treaters, and a delightful feast of suckers, chocolate, and other goodies!

Addi's inspiration