Friday the kids got to wear their costumes to school. No parade or elaborate parties this year, but they got to wear the costume all day, instead of changing out of it after the class party. I enjoyed seeing all the costumes at drop-off and pick-up. I heard many thanks from students for the crafts I provided to their classes, and several mentioned that they loved when the cats interrupted my video tutorial 🙂

By some miracle I was saved from making Pokemon costumes this year. It’s been Pokemon Pokemon Pokemon non-stop out of their mouths all fall. Yet for some reason they asked for Hogwarts costumes, with robes from each of their houses (Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff). I happily agreed and gave quiet thanks that I wasn’t being asked to make a Slurpuff or Sirfetch’d or some other obscure thing.

Jack is specifically the Head Boy of Hufflepuff – note the extra pin on his right breast that he bought with his own allowance.

This morning we carved pumpkins. The two largest are from the store, and the the three smaller pumpkins were grown in our garden! We had two little green baby pumpkins appear October 1st. They didn’t get big enough to carve by Halloween, but we put them on display all the same.

They kids were delighted to learn they had a remote lesson from Hogwarts scheduled in the afternoon! Who is Professor S? Is it Snape? But Snape doesn’t like to teach! Who is going to be playing Snape? Will there be other students? They were in wonder all morning, and then absolutely delighted to see their uncle Andy sniveling criticisms at them via Zoom.

Andy did an amazing job setting up the lesson. First they chatted about their school and dress. Then he had them “clarify the handwriting in their assignments,” filling in the adjectives and verbs as with Mad Libs, and then read back their hilarious Halloween essays.

The lesson was interrupted by the new Herbology professor who needed help with her over-sized pinecones, and then by Professor Dumbledore who warned of us a loose troll and said there was a problem with the Halloween feast.

Professor Snape then turned to potions, asking the kids to make Lemon Quaffles (inspired by this clip from QI). He had funny terms for all the ingredients – ground troll dust powder and minotaur’s tears and such.

Their professor claimed that if they mixed it correctly it would form a self-baking lemon cake. Instead . . . .

Lastly Snape gave them what he thought was a traditional muggle treat “candy corn”, but instead was “canned corn.” The boys drank dragon’s blood (red colored chocolate milk) in their cauldron cups and toasted their professors a Hoggy Hogwarts Happy Halloween.

Professor Snape gave them a homework assignment to create and original spell. Here’s what they came up with:

After a relatively quiet afternoon, when Ben and I stole away for a few minutes to pick up dinner and drinks, it was time for trick or treating!

Sam had a cold today (runny nose and cough – our pediatrician recommended against covid testing in favor of a visit on Monday to clear him for school). We cancelled meeting up with friends to trick-or-treat. Ben took the boys out with masks and tongs (to pick up candy and ring door bells) and safely guided them to obvious buckets and away from interaction with any people. We busted out the old stroller to help Sam stay out as long as his brother. After and hour they came home with full buckets and frozen fingers. It was an incredible and memorable Halloween!