Henry's preschool had a snack buffet of each student's favorite foods as a sort of Thanksgiving meal. We were told that as Henry had asserted Brats as the greatest food in the world, that we'd need to bring a few to share.

 

We were also told by the teachers that Henry contributed the funniest comment to the booklet, but that we'd need to wait until the booklet came home. It's a pretty good comment. We'll let your mind wander as to the specifics of the picture he's painting.

For whatever reason the Halloween Party at Preschool is always named the Fall Festival. It's just fun. All kids and staff wear costumes, there are games everywhere, and candy is handed out.

Henry gave each game a tumble, enjoying the hockey and duck games the most. Piper won the cake walk on her first try, after which she wisely picked a very full bag of cookies from the table.

It was happily clear that Henry really loves his teacher, Mrs. Nancy. As parents it's very comforting to have had really good luck with teachers over the last few years.



You can never going wrong when the game is flinging things at big pumpkins.




Piper has been walking everywhere these past few weeks, and has consequently become a bit of a wanderer. She remains a little nervous around strangers, but when she was at the museum with me last weekend she would pick a direction and then throw it into gear, plowing ahead with zero regard for where Henry or Daddy were. I kept expecting her to eventually pause when she realized we were nowhere to be found, but that didn't happen. We're in the toddler phase where I hang back and occasionally step up to turn her in a new direction. She's on the run.

In preparation for Halloween we've spent a little time cruising the kid friendly channels for holiday specials. Henry and I ended up on ABC Family watching the last 30 minutes of Poltergeist while Becky and Piper thumped around upstairs, reading stories and toying with laundry. I honestly had not seen the movie in a long while, and mainly remembered that it was very good. I did recall that some of it was creepily effective, but assumed that by virtue of it being on ABC Family that it was edited a bit.

Incorrect.

It remains an effective movie, and I quickly worried about nightmares and the like. But Henry kept wanting more so I left it on, checking in every 5 minutes or so.

"Are you scared?"

"No. It's all pretend."

Rinse. Repeat every handful of minutes.

"Is the girl in the tv ok?"

"Yep. She's fine. She'll be OK in the end."

And that's all that concerned him.

As the final moments of the film reached their crescendo and the home collapsed into the gaping maw of a haunted burial ground, Henry had a single statement. "They're going to need a big construction team to rebuild that house."

"Are you scared? You sure?"

"It's pretend. The little girl is ok and now they need to get a construction crew. I like that they stayed in a hotel and put the tv outside."

Becky rolled her eyes a bit and made a clear demand. "You're getting up if there are nightmares."

Everyone has continued to sleep well.

The Halloween weather was pretty great this year -- a little snowy but in the high 20's. Henry's fire fighter costume was loose enough to layer over his lined pants and gotchkees. He even made it through the evening with his ears exposed.

Piper had a harder time. Her spider costume is built upon a black sweatshirt and sweatpants, so layering underneath is key. However, she is a little bigger than Henry was when he donned the costume, so the layering was a little tougher.

Here were the facts when the dust settled:

• Dad had to hold the sweatshirt closed while Mom zippered it up, it threatening to burst the whole while.
• Piper was unable to walk, move, or even turn her body.
• When she tipped over in the house, she remained flat on the floor, wiggling and crying.
• Basically, she was bundled up like Randy in A Christmas Story.

Piper and Mommy rang doorbells for about 30 minutes before heading home. Henry and I stayed out on an additional hour. We hit the same neighborhood as last year and in general did much better; more generous handfuls of treats and a 4 year old willing to walk the whole way.

Victory.

The real snow of the season arrived a few days later. I survived handily commuting on my bike and the kids played outside. Piper seemed deeply unsure about the weather. The one thing that is certain is that she really looks like a Turek in this photo. She's definitely related to her brother.

And Henry is perpetually on the job.