That was a fun weekend.

Three halloween parties : the gym, the church, and a friend's. Had a great time at all of them.

And then trick-or-treating last night.

Trick-or-treating in the apartments was always a little bit flat. Lots of the apartments didn't participate, and of the people who did, it was out of a sense of obligation rather than because they thought it was fun.

Trick-or-treating in the new neighbourhood was completely different. As soon as it got dark, our subdivision filled with little fairies and ghosts and ninjas and elves flitting about between the houses in the beautiful warm night air. Some people turned their garages into scary haunted house type places, complete with dry ice and wailing noises and skeletons with red flashing eyes. Other people set up candy-giving-out stations surrounded by carved pumpkins and candles and assorted spooky decor. One person was setting off fireworks, and the light that illuminates the fountain in the neighbourhood pond was shining orange. (Wonder how they did that?)

Probably the scariest thing was the large, hand-lettered sign on someone's front lawn - something to the effect of a vote for John Kerry being a vote for a cowardly terrorist. That house gave out good candy, though. I am very grateful that general discourse in the neighbourhood remains friendly, even though feelings about the election are running so high at the moment.

Oh, and how's this for scary. The local Baptist church doesn't do the traditional haunted house thing. Too much like hobnobbing with Satan, I gather. No, instead, of setting up a haunted house to amuse and entertain, they do a Judgement House where they actually try to terrify people in good earnest. Visitors to the Judgement house get to walk past a dozen or so little vignettes. Some people in the vignettes make "good" choices and are saved, others make "bad" ones and - you guessed it - are judged and burn in hell. Delightful, don't you think? Apparently it bumps up their conversion numbers significantly.

The kids got an enormous amount of candy last night. Interestingly, they haven't done what I would have done as a child : namely, eat till I felt sick. Last night they ate two pieces each, and stashed the rest away in their rooms. And Sophie hasn't eaten any this morning either. I'm glad they are so in touch with their bodies that they only eat as much as they actually want.