Marie's Web Log

Happy Halloween. I took Amelia out tonight around a few neighbours' houses. We went early and not everyone 'does' Halloween here, but I don't think she needs a whole load of candy anyway. She wore the Tinkerbell costume Ian's sister gave her last Christmas - a little flouncy dress thing with detachable wings. I was surprised she put it on - she's usually not keen on dressing up. Maybe it was the promise of sweets.

Because we are in a row of only three houses, outside the main part of the estate, we don't usually get many kids coming around. Last year we had the neighbour's boy and a friend. That was it. (By contrast, in Mississauga we used to get over 200.) At the houses I took Amelia to, I mentioned that we would be giving out candy, so this year we had about 20 kids. Quite nice, actually - 200 is a bit much. And people give out better quality candy here, because they don't have to give out so much.

The costumes aren't so imaginative though - most people stick to the devil/witch/skeleton thing. They don't seem to realise you can branch out a bit. And the funny thing is, they do sometimes put up decorations, but they put them inside. I remember walking around our neighbourhood in Mississauga in the days before Halloween and seeing those huge orange garbage bags with pumpkin faces on, filled with leaves, and the ones that looked like people slumped in chairs on front steps, and the ghosts hanging in trees, and cobwebs, and fake tombstones. It got a bit ridiculous really, and I used to say I didn't like it, but I walked around our neighbourhood this afternoon and apart from a few pumpkins timidly peeping over windowsills, there was nothing. Nothing at all. And I kind of missed all the crap.

The weather has been very mild - nearly 20 C yesterday, though cooler today. Most of the trees still have their leaves. Autumn - summer even - has been very drawn out.

Amelia's tantrums continue, though she hasn't had one today. They are getting shorter, which I guess is a good sign. When she has them during the day, we put her on the top step (the 'quiet step') until she calms down. The ones during the night are harder to deal with.

All for now.