Hallowe'en: The Bizarro World Edition

On this lazy, reasonably rainy Friday my boys decided the thing they would most like to do is put on each other's costumes so I waited for a break in the rain and that's just what we did.

Things started off with some of those patented Nate "smiles"...

– I is smiling right now everyone...

–... and still smiling here (believes it or not).

... and a bit of a startled look from Seth. I think he forgot he was playing police officer, but he quickly got back into character which happened to be about the same time Nate noticed the ball and chain. 

And despite an attempt at an "innocent" look from Nate...

... Seth was determined to get his man. 

I'm still feeling confident about my casting on Hallowe'en night, but I'll give full credit to Seth for knowing exactly what to do with those handcuffs. 

– Gotcha bro'.

– Er, yes... I suppose you does.

– Of course you know if we join forces maybe we get through

'dis gate and make a break for it.

– Shhh! As you point out that other time, mommy can hear us.

We maybe wait until she not looking, OK?

• • • • • • • 

Four more things:

1. I could not choose between this photo of Nate and this one of Seth...

– Is time to get your swoon on cuties!

... not even if I had a million years to do it. Truth be told, they both make me swoon a little.

2. My boys had a great time Hallowe'en night. After the last two years (here and here) I wasn't sure how they'd react, but in the end we went up and down a very long block of houses. Total time out trick-or-treating was just over an hour and their costumes were greatly admired by all. I had bought a bag originally to use as a prop/loot sack that I didn't end up using in photos or as a loot sack per se, but M. and I took it along in case their pumpkin buckets got "too full".

Their buckets were "too full" after the first half dozen houses so the sack came in handy to at least periodically collect all the loot. Every time we did a bucket dump, Nate would declare "go get more now!" so clearly I trained them well. 

3. When I say I trained them well, I mean I trained them really, really well. We came home with almost more than we could carry. 

I'm not sure this photo does it justice, but we got a lot of loot.

4. Lastly – and on a different note – I am still in awe (and not in a good way) of the photos taken of the flooding in lower Manhattan which isn't even where the worst of Hurricane Sandy struck in the US. Geographically speaking though they are our closest neighbor. I can't complain about getting a little bit wet while we were out trick-or-treating. Our power remained on, we had heat and light and good things to eat. Some people didn't and still don't.

If you are in Canada and are in a position to help out, please consider a donation via the Canadian Red Cross as they appear to have the best access to disaster relief in the US from here and are accepting donations specifically for relief there.

Once again we are the lucky ones and despite the rainy weather and a lot of indoor time with two toddlers who would have rather been outside (but not in the rain) the gravity of this disaster is not lost on me. I made sure we had extra water and could live off the canned goods we had stored. Our power stayed on and in the end none of it was necessary. I cannot imagine having to evacuate our home with my boys in tow or the effect it might have had on them if such measures should have become necessary. Our biggest hardship was trick-or-treating in the rain where everyone's hair got a bit wet. $5 or $10 or whatever you've got... if you've got it, please give it.

- L.