Halloween!

We went to a Fall Festival last night at the West End Assembly of God, which is right down the street from us. It was a pretty significant production and A LOT of fun. I think this could join apple-picking at Carter Mountain Orchard as an October staple. Special thanks goes to Pete and Vallie Woods for lending us super-cute costumes for the night.

Our costume-resistant boy finally relented and discovered that it can be quite fun to be a tiger (or a Tigger) for a day.


Owen went as a Hershey kiss (sweet, round and yummy -- just like him!) -- not a princess, as one or two people thought.


Brennan was more participatory than usual and actually played many of the games, which earned him his choice of candy from a tub. He was especially good at dropping the clothespin in the bucket, tossing the bean bag, and throwing the football (I wish scouts from UR had been there). He wasn't especially good at limiting himself to one or two pieces at a time.

We gathered at 6:30 for a big treasure hunt, where candy was hidden in straw across a patch of ground cordoned off by hay bales. Brennan waited with anticipation, but when the rush was on he stayed rooted to the hay bale he was sitting on. He came away with a foot-long piece of straw, which probably made him the big winner in his mind. More lucrative was the trip to the Henrico police department table, flanked by a cruiser and unmarked Dodge Charger with blue lights blinking and flashing. One of the officers beckoned Brennan forward and then dropped a fist full of candy into his pumpkin bucket. Just like that the night's bounty increased by about 50%!

And a good thing too, because this boy likes his chocolate bars. A Snickers bar has served as both a late-night snack and an after breakfast dessert since we returned home.

On that pace it's a good thing we have another Fall Festival tonight at Staples Mill Road Baptist Church!