Last Halloween I attended the Trick or Treat bash at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop. (It's a great event, and if you're anywhere near Pittsburgh, I highly recommend it.) This year, though, I'm staying home to help my five-year-old twin nephews enjoy the holiday.
The nephews have been watching the Star Wars movies lately, and this had a profound effect on their choice of costumes.
"I'm going to be Dark Vader for Halloween," the elder twin told me proudly. "See! This is my life saver!"
He was waving a telescoping plastic light saber with such enthusiasm that it was a good thing we were outdoors. When I corrected him--Darth Vader and light saber--he ignored me.
His brother announced that he was going to be Yoga.
"Yoda," I said, automatically.
"Noooo," he said, his tone conveying his utter impatience with silly grownups who know nothing about Star Wars. "YOGA."
They're also very keen on Halloween decorating.
"Why don't you look through your decorations," Yoga told me very seriously. "And put up the ones you like, and you can bring us the ones you don't like."
I promised I would do so. They were absolutely charmed with the couple of strings of pumpkin shaped lights I brought over, not to mention the bat that's now hanging from a tree in their front lawn.
We also got into a bit of Halloween trouble in the grocery store. We saw some chocolate eyeballs. They're not that gross, really--peanut butter- or caramel filled balls wrapped in foil printed with an eyeball design. Dark Vader was charmed.
"Daddy!" he called. "Can I have some chocolate eyeballs?"
Daddy murmured something. Probably "maybe later," which any self-respecting child has long ago figured out means, "hell, no!"
Vader continued begging for chocolate eyeballs at intervals. It wouldn't have been so bad if he were using what parents call his "indoor voice," but Vader has no indoor voice. We're thinking he has a great career ahead of him in the theater. Or maybe opera. Without any lessons, he has already learned to project his voice so anyone within a couple of blocks can hear him. By the time we left the grocery store, he had changed his plea to "Can I have some eyeballs to eat?"
You get a lot of room on the sidewalk when you're traveling with a small child who's begging for body parts.
So I bought some chocolate eyeballs. They're all ready in my candy dish, waiting. I can imagine Monday morning when Vader and Yoga tell their friends all about their Halloween.
"Auntie Donna gave us EYEBALLS!"
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