Halloween Well Celebrated in London

I'm beaming in to inform all interested parties that Halloween here for the Webers was great fun. Without Target, it did involve fewer costume and candy choices (think witches and goblins of all sizes, Mars and Milky Way galore).

Had I jumped on the Americana bandwagon and joined Costco no doubt we'd have been swimming in Halloween-ness. However, since we seem to operating just fine without whatever American food items we've been without for a year we'll continue on without them.

And on that note, can you believe it's been a year since we left Charlotte? It's been a great year of new experiences, and I like to think we've taken full advantage of our opportunity to live internationally. May we continue to enjoy the adventure!

Now back to Halloween...we got a jump on pumpkin carving so unfortunately by the time the big day rolled around ours had collapsed on themselves, looking moldy around the eyes and oozing whatever it is decomposing vegetables ooze.

HOWEVER, because the signal of Halloween participation here is a pumpkin, the kids insisted we leave ours out on the front porch. Clearly we win the grotesque house award. (Especially now that one is nearly flattened from some poor unfortunate kid sticking his foot in it.)

Claire and Ava both opted to be fairies this year because neither wanted to be a witch (at Sainsbury I sorted through all the ghoul and goblin outfits to find fairy props). So with plenty of pink, wings, wands, tiaras and sparkly shoes, they were costumed and ready to canvas the neighborhood in search of candy.

Joe took the kids out this time while I answered the door with, you guessed it, Mars and Milky Way in hand. (by the way, the mars don't have nuts in them; is that sacrilege or what?)

You cold tell the difference between the American and British trick or treaters; the former marched boldly up the stops with plastic pumpkin in hand, firmly called out trick or treat and, once treat secured, dashed off to the next house. The British kids came forward a bit more gingerly, many carrying plastic grocery bags for their candy, and most had to be prompted by parents to say "trick or treat." They seemed not to know what to do after they'd scored their candy.

Our kids and Joe came back an hour or so later with big smiles and plenty of candy. Apparently a few blocks over it was a Halloween fest, lines to get to doors and the whole bit. There's a larger concentration of Americans on some of those streets and in fact one British parent said his family drives over every year to trick or treat on that street because of the level of Halloween participation.

All of our Halloween visitors were on the young side, no egging or flour bombs or anything off color in our neck of the woods. (I'd been told and have been reading in the paper about pranks being problematic. Apparently not on our cozy little street, thankfully.)

In other Halloween goings-on this week, Claire's school had their Halloween costume parade Friday, which Ava and I attended. We also stopped in at the class party afterward. Ava, along with Claire and her classmaters, scored on a bag of treats, cupcakes and the like.

Halloween festivities will continue for Ava next week, as her school's Halloween party is November 7 (now that would clearly be a stretch in the U.S., though it's always good to get as much use out of the costume as possible).

She and I have a good fall break together. On Wed. we went to the British Museum for dead week activities. The place had some great crafts, so we hung out with friends and made all kinds of altar decor items (flours, skeletons, clay skulls, etc.). Sounds grotesque but they were all colorful and not terribly off-putting.

Claire got to hit the stables two days back to back last week, on Wed. for her lesson, Thurs. for pony day. Because she had the day off for parent/teacher conferences, she got to immerse herself in feeding, watering, washing, grooming, riding, shoveling manure, making straw beds, etc.

She and her friends were there from 10 to 4:30 and were happily exhausted -- and very smelly -- by the time we got home.

Meanwhile, I attended my Jane Austen class and Joe and I received a very good report regarding Claire's 2nd grade progress up to this point.

Ava got to spend some time at the park and ride her scooter with our lovely babysitter (who Ava's decided worries ALL the time). This would be because poor Miss Ewa is doing her best to keep her charge from falling into harm. Or falling period.

Yesterday Ava and I traipsed down to a slow food market near the Thames, sampled our way through (decadent truffles and incredible Polish salami among the highlights) and brought home some items for a chicken cacciatore dish.

Today...who knows what's on the agenda...