The paper mache jack-o-lanterns from last year survived to see another season, which is a damned good thing, as you'll see later.
But then I just couldn't resist temptation...in fact, I was on Target.com because I needed to order some blue school uniform pants/skirts for the kids...but the Halloween decorations were just right there...calling to me...in what seems to be fast becoming a tradition in our house--sort of like hanging plates on the wall or having 48,000 coffee mugs for one person--we had new orbs hanging overhead, these in the form of paper lanterns with a Halloween theme.
Did I happen to mention how thankful I am that my kids have always loved homemade costumes? From the fleece Jedi robes I sewed freehand in 30 minutes about 4 years ago to this year...we've sometimes bought or been given things but it has never been a "must." This year, Hannah was "Pinkalicious," a little girl who ate so many ultra-pink cupcakes that she turned pink, and an interesting child-level commentary on the hazards of chemically enhanced foods (?!?). We dressed her all in pink and then "painted" her face with basic pink eyeshadow. The boys chose not to dress up, but Hank took Hannah trick-or-treating, and Jack helped hand out candy.
So maybe those paper lanterns weren't my only target purchase...maybe I also bought a six-foot long inflatable cat that lit up and moved its head...And maybe some of the foreign workers from places we see as so amazingly exotic (Nepal, India, Pakistan) were highly amused and befuddled by this decoration. One of them stood in front of our house for 20 minutes watching the cat move its head back and forth.
A wonderful expat organizes a big Halloween carnival on the tennis courts. The cost per child is about $15, but the "goodies" are amazing. There are probably 25 games, each with a prize. This does a reasonably job of filling in for the fantastic Halloween carnivals the elementary school used to put on back in Texas.
I have to say that, between the compound's effort at putting on/hosting this carnival and the wide-spread participating in trick-or-treating, we have a great time with Qatar's Halloween. It helps a lot with the homesick.
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