Halloween

Tim went back to the US at the end of October for our friends Nathan and Stephanie’s wedding.  I didn’t get to go because we decided that it would be too hard with Ben, and a 7 hour time difference for 4 days would be crazy.  So, Tim packed all his things in a carry-on suitcase, and then placed that suitcase inside a big suitcase (I’m sure the TSA was all over that one) so he could bring back a bunch of things- like a Halloween costume for Ben.  He had a great time at the wedding.

Tim was scheduled to fly out of New Jersey at almost the exact hour that the hurricane hit, but luckily he was able to re-book a flight out of Chicago.  He made it back here with no further problems. 

Ben was at home sick on Halloween with a slight fever, but he must not have felt too bad.

 

 

 Playing with his Mega Blocks again.  He loves them!

That evening, Halloween, our doorbell rang at 8:15.  After a moment of confusion (Tim didn’t even know we had a doorbell), we realized that it was trick-or-treaters.  It was a group of three kids, about 8 years old.  They were dressed up as monsters or something.  One was in white, one in red, I think the other was in black.  I’m not sure what they were, and I have no idea what they said.  I think it might have been something like Trick or Treat, but with an accent.  I asked if they spoke any English, and they didn’t, but I heard one ask the other in Italian, if he knew how to say dolce in English.  He was looking for candy of course, which I didn’t have.  I really thought they didn’t go trick or treating here.  There was no Halloween candy at the grocery store, no special displays anywhere, apart from a few decorations in some shops around town and at Ben’s daycare.  (On a side note, they just put out Christmas candy this week, and they also do Easter candy, but even all that is still less than the standard year-round candy in the US.)  I felt horrible for not having candy, but I offered them clementines, and they seemed excited about them.  I did see the candy in their bags, and it was nothing special.  Italy does not do candy like the US does candy.  Next time we will be prepared (and then probably not get any trick-or-treaters).

So, needless to say, we did not take Ben trick-or-treating.  I thought about walking to our friends house, just to do a little something, but it was raining.  We did dress him up though, in a Tiger costume that Tim’s mom made, and Tim wore 29 years earlier, and Tim’s brother Danny wore a year or two after Tim.