Halloween Playdough

Liam's teacher asked me to make some "fun Halloween play dough" for his kindergarten class.  A little bit of thinking and a trip to the dollar store and we created some orange glitter play dough filled with plastic ants, flies and spiders. 

Liam is very excited to take the "bug dough" to school tomorrow. And I can't wait to hear all about it. 

Play Dough

2 cups flour

2 cups water

1 cup salt 

2 tbsp oil 

1tbsp cream of tartar

Food Colouring

Mix all ingredients together in large pot. Heat on medium until dough forms. Turn out on floured counter. Dough will be sticky. Knead in extra flour until it is the right consistency.  Finally knead in the fun stuff ... Glitter and bugs!  (Or whatever you creative mind can come up with!) 

From Pumpkin Patch to Pumpkin Pie

Our journey from Pumpkin Patch to Pumpkin Pie started a couple of weeks ago.  On a sunny Saturday morning, we went to Miller's Farm in Manotick in search of pumpkins.

We took the wagon to the pumpkin patch to look for the perfect pumpkin.

Although there were lots of great pumpkins in the field, all of the REALLY big ones were already at the store area and we wanted a REALLY big pumpkin!  We came home with a 40 pound pumpkin.

Then it was time to get that pumpkin cleaned out and turned into a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween.  Once all the guts were removed, it was carved into a scary face, as per Liam's instructions.

As is the case with all good Jack-O-Lanterns, when Halloween is over, so is their life.

 The 40 pound pumpkin turned Jack-O-Lantern was destine to be cut into pieces ...

 ... put in a 350 degree oven ...

... and baked for an hour.

 As if that wasn't enough torture for  poor Jack, he was then peel and chopped into smaller pieces ...

 ... tossed in the food processor ...

... and made in to puree.

And that my friends, is what we used to make a lovely pumpkin pie for dessert!
(And A LOT left over to go in the freezer for future pumpkin goodies!)

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 375 F for 50 minutes.

For a large deep dish pie, double recipe.

Halloween Fun!!

Every year, Halloween gets more and more exciting!  Two years ago, we Trick or Treated at 2 houses because every time someone opened their door, Liam cried.  Last year, we had to be right beside him to knock on doors, ring door bells and take the candy when he decided to be shy.  This year, he was a pro!  Walking up to houses by himself, knocking on the door, saying Trick or Treat and Thank You and having a wonderful time!

Here is our Halloween adventure in photos!

 Miller's Farm in Manotick.  Liam would have played on the hay bales all day if we hadn't reminded him that we were there for a pumpkin!

 Checking out the pumpkin patch.  So many pumpkins!

 "I want these two.  One can have a happy face and one can have a scary face."

 "You want me to put my hands in there?  I don't think so!"

 "Are you sure I have to touch this stuff?  It is like slime."

 "I guess it's not so bad after all."

 The scary pumpkin. (We got a small pumpkin that was supposed to be the happy face, but it started to rot before we craved them.)

 Captain America . . . ready to save the world . . . if you have candy!

"Come on people!  There are more houses to go to, lots more houses."

Captain America and all his goodies.  We told him that he could choose 2 things to eat before bed.  He was very good about it but probably only because he was too exhausted to put up a fuss!  We stopped Trick or Treating because he asked to go home to bed!  I don't ever remember asking to stop Trick or Treating, we were always trying to talk Dad into one more house!  But then again, I don't remember being three years old!  When he finally went to bed, Liam was very sad that he couldn't wear his Captain America suit to bed!

Trick or Treat!!

Liam had been talking non stop about Halloween for days leading up to October 31.  It seemed as though he actually got the concept this year.  He wanted to be a dinosaur, we found a costume at Value Village, it was a little on the small side, but Grandma altered it so that it would fit nicely. We were all set.  About a week before Halloween, he even insisted that we decorate!  He enjoyed helping Daddy carve a jack-o-lantern.

Pumpkin Carving Time!

The day before Halloween, we tried on the costume to decide what clothes he would wear under it and a melt down happened.  He didn't want to wear his dinosaur costume.  He thought it was too small.  Monday morning, as we left the house to go to daycare, he freaked out when he saw the costume.  He said he wasn't going to wear and told me to leave it at home.

I wasn't sure what Halloween night would bring.  Would we actually go trick or treating?  Or would we stay home with an upset little boy.

Fortunately, when we got to daycare, he was happy to put his costume on.  He wore it all day.  He came home excited to go trick or treating.  And insisting that Mommy dress up too!

I'm a dinosaur!  Roar!!

Mommy is a witch!

We set out, going to Gabba's house first.  Where he insisted that Grandma coming trick or treating with us!  And then we were off, to what I expect would be a few houses, maybe out for half an hour or so.

Trick or Treat

Let's go to people's houses!

But we kept going and going and going.  Our little dinosaur was a very good little trick or treater, knocking on doors, saying Trick or Treat, saying Thank you and Happy Halloween and giving lots of dino roars!

After each house, he asked to go to another house and another and another.  We finally had to stop him after an hour when he was literally getting too tired to walk.  And fortunately too tired to protest!

Let's go to another house!  I want to go to that one!

The best conversation of the night was at our final stop was at the Marlborough Pub.  It is a favourite place for all of us to eat.  The staff have been making a big deal over Liam since he was a newborn.  

The conversation went like this.

Waitress: "You are such a cute dinosaur.  I have a chocolate bar for you."

Liam: "I don't like chocolate."

Waitress: (jokingly) "Well, would you like a french fry instead?"

Liam: "Yes please!"

Waitress: "Here you go." Handing him a Mars bar.

Liam: "Is this like a french fry?"

Waitress: "Sure."

When we got home, Liam was still holding the Mars bar and talking about it being like a french fry.  So, we opened it up and let him try it.  Ever since, every time he sees a Mars bar, he recognizes it as being "like a french fry".  And the boy, who really didn't like chocolate, now likes Mars bars!

Checking out the loot after a fun night of trick or treating.

Since Monday, Liam has been asking if Halloween is over.  And making me promise that it will come back next year.

Halloween And Allan's Candy

A few weeks ago when the Halloween decorations started appearing in stores, I asked Liam what he wanted to be for Halloween.  I expected that at almost 3 years old, he would have an opinion this year.  The conversation when like this.

Me: "Liam, what do you want to be for Halloween this year?"

Liam: "Yes, Mommy." (This is his standard answer for when he doesn't understand the question.)

Me: "What do you want to dress up as for Halloween?"

Liam: "A shirt."

Me: "You want to be a shirt for Halloween?"

Liam: "I want to wear a shirt.  I just need to wear a shirt."

Clearly, at that point, he did not understand the concept of Halloween!

Now, however, he does.  He decided not long ago that he wanted to be a dinosaur.  He is thrilled with the dinosaur costume that we found him and has been practicing his dinosaur growl and asking daily when he gets to wear it.

Because this is the first year that Liam even remotely understands Halloween and because we live in the country and in 9 years have never had a single trick or treater come to the door, we don't really have any Halloween traditions yet.  Unless buying candy "just in case some one comes" and eating it all ourselves counts as a tradition?  I am however looking forward to creating some fun filled family Halloween traditions.  

Last year, we visited a local pumpkin patch, which I think was probably the beginning of an annual tradition.  We enjoyed a wagon ride and explored the pumpkin patch.  This year, given Liam's current obsession with corn fields I expect we will also be making our way through the corn maze.

I expect that this year will also see Liam and Daddy carving a pumpkin or two together, which will, after Halloween be cooked into their favourite dessert, pumpkin pie.

Regardless of your choice of Halloween traditions, it is impossible to celebrate the holiday without CANDY!!!!  This year, Allan's is helping us in the candy department.

With Allan's you are getting Canadian made candy from a company that is celebrating it's 77th year in business.  Everyone who enjoys candy has at one time or another tried Allan's iconic Big Foot candy that has been teasing our taste buds for more than 25 years!

Allan's has three types of individually wrapped, peanut free candy mixes that are available for Halloween.  Allan's Intense Jubes and Jellies, Allan's Chewy Rascalz, Allan's Fruit Buddies all of which you can find at Walmart, Loblaws and other key retailers.

We have all been sampling some of these Allan's Halloween candies and I can say that if you are a lover of candy, you won't be disappointed in these treats.  Keep them hidden if you want any to be left on Halloween night!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Allan Candy Company program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation for my participation in this campaign.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Halloween According to Liam

So, I'm not really sure what this Halloween stuff is all about, but parts of it were fun.  And parts of it were HORRIBLE!!!  

First, I got to wear my Tigger suit to daycare on Friday.  My friends wore costumes too and we had cake with icing for snack!!  I like cake!

Sunday, I had a hot dog for supper and then got my Tigger suit on again.  Mom gave me a tiger nose and whiskers.  And she let me play with my puppup.  (pumpkin)  There are puppup everywhere at Halloween!  I love them, but nobody will let me play with them!

Waiting for mom and dad to take me Trick or Treating . . . at this point, I had no idea what Trick or Treating was, so I was happy and excited.  And they said we were going to Grandma's house.  I love going to Grandma's house!

Trick or Treating started out OK, I followed Dad down the path to the house and up the steps to the door.  And then I was done.  I wanted to go.  But they wouldn't let me.  They all, mom, dad and grandma, made me stay while the door opened.  I yelled and cried and said please, but they made me stay.  They said it was OK, it was Dawn's house and that I know Dawn, but I still didn't like it.  Even when she put goodies in my bag I didn't like it.

Phew, back outside.  Everything was good once we got back to the driveway.  Trick or Treating isn't much fun, but there was a warewane (airplane) in the sky and then birds!  We got back in the truck and I thought we were going to Grandma's house.

But we didn't.  We went to another house.  Mom and Dad thought I would be OK at this house because I have been here before.  But I still didn't like Trick or Treating.  This is Dad's Uncle Richard and Aunt Diane's house, so we went inside for a few minutes.  I did not want to go in.  But they made me.  Eventually when their dog came upstairs, I settled down a bit.

Finally we went back to Grandma's house!!  And I found chips in my bag!  I like chips.  I just don't like going to people's houses to get them.  Why can't we just get them at the grocery store?  But Grandma's house is fun!

Seriously, don't you all think I am the cutest Tigger ever??

"RAR!  RAR!  RAR!"

Mom and Dad keep saying that by next year I will understand this whole Halloween thing better and it will be more fun for me!

Halloween Costume or Super Cute Jogging Suit

I am in need of some opinions.  Halloween is just around the corner and Henry and I are having a bit of a disagreement on what Liam should dress up as.

I want to get him some kind of super cute, but not expensive costume. Value Village has some adorable little dragon costumes that I love that were about $20.  He is only 22 months and won't be doing a whole lot of trick or treating or anything like that, but I want something cute to take some Halloween pictures and for him to wear to daycare with all his friends.

Henry on the other hand things that he should wear his "orange, fuzzy tiger costume" and that he is too young to care or know the difference.

Now, the real reason that this is such an issue is that as far as I am concerned, the "orange, fuzzy tiger costume" is NOT a costume, it is a Tigger jogging suit.  Henry is convinced that it is a Halloween costume.  I am sure that it is a jogging suit. 

 So, now, I need some opinions.  Here are some photos of the munchkin in the outfit in question.

"Aren't I the cutest, most adorable Tigger ever?  What exactly is a Tigger?"

Front View

Back View

Seriously, if it were a costume, wouldn't it have a tail???  And the day I took these photos, he wore the outfit to daycare.  None of my co-workers told me that I was a loser for bringing my kid to daycare in a Halloween costume in September, and I think that there are at least a couple of them who would have said something like that.  (Wini, Ashley, you would have told me that I was a loser, right?)

So, there it is, PLEASE leave me some comments to let me know what you think.  (Especially if you think I am right!)

Happy Halloween from the cutest little bumble bee ever!

Liam wore his adorable bumble bee costume (Thanks Aunty Danny) to daycare yesterday and of course everyone thought he was adorable! Of course he is too young to understand or even care about Halloween . . . all that matters to him is that everyone is gushing over him! Tonight, we didn't do the trick or treating thing, we did however take some pictures with the pumpkin and go to Grandma's house.

At home, it was just another night. We live on a country road with six houses and no other kids, so just like every other year, we had no trick or treaters. In some ways it is nice, because we don't have to spend the money on candy and listen to the dogs bark like idiots every time someone comes to the door, but it takes the fun out Halloween. We don't even carve a pumpkin anymore. However I am sure that will change next year when Liam is a little older. Maybe next year I will actually get my halloween decorations out of the box that they have been hidden away in for years . . . if I can find the box . . . I should start looking now . . .