There were no shortage of Halloween things to do today, but I really didn't have the energy for them. Besides, the boys had their last swim lesson (sniff!), and then I went running -- my first "real" long run in a long time (over 7 miles). After getting home, a long bath, a short nap, I was in no mood for another pumpkin patch or costume parade. And no one objected to that at all.
Plenty of Halloween cheer abounded about the house anyway. Katrina just loves singing the songs she learns in preschool -- just not at preschool.
Then Julian and Katrina and I decorated the front porch, with our paltry assembly of Halloween decorations.
Julian got a "pie pumpkin" from school, so I figured we should make a pie out of it. This was really a scratch pie -- I cut open and roasted the pumpkin, I made the pastry dough (a new thing for me), and Julian made the filling -- with lots of help, but he did absolutely everything physically possible.
He read the recipe.
He measured spices.
He mixed the filling!
And uncharacteristically, I forgot to get a picture of the finished pie. Rats.
Meantime, Dave and Gabriel were off on a real mountain bike ride, a relatively new thing. Real terrain, not just a confined BMX park. Gabriel was so-so on the experience, but mountain biking without a mountain bike is pretty hard -- he only has one gear.
Then, dinner, costumes, and trick-or-treating! First, a note on dinner, because this has never happened before: Katrina ATE BROCCOLI. And even asked for more! She didn't even choke it down, she just ate it like it was nothing, because she wanted another chicken dinosaur (a frozen chicken nugget -- ick, but it's from Whole Foods, so it must be good for you, right?) Her refusal to try it so far has been entirely on principle, not taste, as she'd never tasted it. I'm glad that I've always persisted in putting a small amount of vegetable on her plate no matter what, so it's always on her radar. Not that this is a trend yet, but few things make Mom happier than hearing her toddler ask, "Mommy, can I please have more broccoli?"
Ready to comb the neighborhood!
At a neighbor's door. Katrina got the hang of it pretty well and had a great time. Last year, we had to bring her home early because she got into a snit about something or other.
I had fun trick-or-treating; it's a great way to reconnect with neighbors, and the kids were all having a great time. (Dave stayed home and manned our candy handouts.) And, since everyone had their broccoli, they got to eat a fair amount of candy when we got home (after I'd combed the peanut products out of Katrina's bag...I've got to get her tested).
Candy, schmandy....I couldn't quit nibbling on the lightest, tastiest, most delightful pumpkin pie I've ever had. I will definitely be making it again, and it will hereby forever be known as "Julian's Pumpkin Pie." No, better yet, "Julian's Halloween Pumpkin Pie."
10/31/09
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