Halloween: Scary-wonderful

My 8-year-old son adores Halloween. For weeks, he's been begging to go to the Halloween stores, just so he can check it all out. He didn't know what costume he wanted, though, and almost lost it today because he "doesn't have a costume". He has a pretend chainsaw and a bloody sword and a machete and a cleaver, and he has a great skeleton mask. I think he decided it would be more fun if he didn't melt down. (Yeay for progress!)

His cousin, who's 11, is here too. I figured they would enjoy it more without me this year, but they said they wanted me to knock on the doors for them. "OK." But when kids started knocking on our door, and my boys wanted to go, I said they'd have to wait if they wanted me. They decided to do it solo.

This is a great first. My son has had so many fears, and they're all starting to fade away. I'm very happy tonight.

For years, I've given out stickers instead of candy. I try to find really cool sparkly ones, so kids will be happy to get them. My son thought no candy to offer was very uncool. So this year, I've offered both. I'm happy to report that lots of kids chose stickers or little toys (like plastic finger puppets) instead of the candy.

Link: Oil Destroys the Oceans

Good article at Mother Jones on the ecology of the oceans, and how it is all being ravaged by oil.

It is shameful that we haven't reinvented our way of life, to stop needing oil.