Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween here in the States and as always it's very controversial. Some see it as a Hallmark holiday, which is just commercially driven, others see it as a Satanic (Shaytan) holiday that promotes the devil, and other see it as a time to dress up in costumes and have fun. We fit in the last category.

Amira and her little school mates dressed up in costumes and had fun parading around in school yesterday, along with making crafts and playing games. I'm including some photos I took at school yesterday morning, however, unbeknownst to me Amira had changed the setting on my camera so they are not too good, but you'll at least get the idea of their cute little costumes.

After school and work, we rushed over to my brother's house as we go there every year. While my brother and his family go trick or treating around the neighborhood, my parents, Amira and I sit watchful at the front door for all the kids that come in the costumes looking for treats. Traditionally, candy is given to the kids and since we don't do the 'sugar' thing there's no since going door to door and gathering all the junk that we'd only throw away. This is the only part of the holiday I would like to change---the sugar that is past out. Literally these kids are walking around with king size pillow cases and having them filled with candy. I'm sure this is every dentists nightmare and dream for these kids to stuff themselves with this junk. I’m sure their pediatricians are affected by it too.

For Amira's little friends at school we opted to give the girls a little pillow with Tinker Bell on it that they could hang on their bedroom doors and the boys got stickers with cars, sports stuff, and dinosaurs.

While at my brother's house there seemed to be a lull between the grove of kids coming to the door, and without our awareness Grandpa went out to my brother's garage and put on my brother's firefighter uniform and came knocking on the door saying, "trick or treat". You should have seen Amira's face. She look rather perplexed because for one reason this man standing at the door wasn't a kid in a costume and secondly she knew he looked familiar but couldn't quite figure out who he was because of the mask. Then all of a sudden you could see the recognition in her face and she started laughing, "oh Grandpa, you are so silly. Why are you so silly Grandpa?"

All in all it was a fun day.

For those of you that have never carved a pumpkin before, you might enjoy trying. http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf

Snow White Up Close

Snow white by the flowers
Littel girl in puppy costume

Little boy dressed as Elmo

Cute kitty (Really her natural curly hair)

Mr. Incredible

Little girl in black & white is a cute Pirate

Girls table of fun

Mindy's daughter - as Cleopatra - Presenting her Queen look :-)

Her Royalness

Ok, enough being serious - I need to smile.

One of our Mortgage Lending Reps

Called herself a "Tacky Tourist"

Granpa Trick or Treating as a Firefighter

Snow White and Firefighter