Saturday, 30 October 2010
So, today we returned to the Harriet Alexander Nature Center for the second time in as many weeks. This time, we attended a Halloween party. We brought Owen’s cousin Lyric, too.
First there was a hay ride, which culminated in a treasure find of chocolate coins. Then we went into the nature center. This one professor from the U of M was there, and he had with him a collection of really large insects. There was a scorpion, too. And a millipede. The millipede was about 1/2 an inch in diameter and 4 – 5 inches long. I had to point the millipede out to Owen, because he has asked me which animal has the most legs, and I think I am correct in telling him that it’s a millipede. The sign next to the millipede says they can have between 200 and 240 legs. I think that’s great that a class of animals can have a variance of 40 legs. All of us boring mammals just have four limbs. BORING!
There was one man working there, and when he saw Owen, he said, “I bet I know who you are, except you’re missing a mustache!” Owen just kind of stared at him like he was an idiot (Owen is good at giving people that look – especially since he inherited it from both parents). When Owen didn’t respond, he said, “You’re Groucho Marx, right!”
Um…no…sorry to say, but Owen didn’t ask to dress as someone from his great-grandparents’ generation.
Let’s take a look at Groucho, shall we?
Owen was not only lacking a mustache, he was also lacking a cigar. Owen’s actual costume was Inspector Gadget, which should’ve differentiated him from Groucho in that he had a top hat, a trench coat, a hand coming out of his hat, a magnifying glass, and a wristwatch telephone.
See? Like Gadget:
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Happy Halloween!
Today, we drove to my in-laws’ house, had dinner, then dressed our son once again in Gadget attire and Isla in a dog costume (because she was Gadget’s dog Brain), then went trick-or-treating in the neighborhood with Owen’s two cousins.
Let me tell you, neighborhood trick-or-treating beats the socks off of mall trick-or-treating. Well, actually, if you have real little kids (as we did have in years past), then the malls are nice as they afford a moderate temperature and a well-lit area.
But neighbors give out way more candy – and better quality, too. And no lousy pedicure coupons! One neighbor gave Owen an entire pack of Starbursts and an 18-inch long Pixie Stick. Another lady gave out bags of goodies featuring rulers, a coloring book, and pencils. I twice had to reach into Owen’s pail and empty out some of the contents into my pockets so that he had more room for more treats.
Later, when we returned home to our apartment complex, Owen and I roamed the halls in search of more candy. We got another decent hall, especially from one woman who invited us in, gave Owen a gift bag, and told him to fill it with the candy in her bowl. Sweet.