got candy? got pumpkins?

Greeting from France, the land of a very hollow Halloween...and a very bitter and biting winter wind, and  hello from our new found friends "potiron and citrouille" A hard find in France, and a bit odd shaped too...

The French enthusiasm for Halloween is non-existent. Enthusiasm I'm saying, not idea. The idea exists -and it's not a good idea. Where is the love people? Put some heart in it! I saw people trying to try...buying to try, but um, it looked very awkward, and hello people, we don't trick or treat on the 29th of October - now that is just plain scary, go home and try again, later, like on the 31st. -Or better yet, let my kids show you how it's done.

Now this is more like it! 

It's amazing what the power of culture and cumulative effort can do! I miss Halloween in the "hood" this year. I miss the days up to Halloween, the boys getting ready, the "Bwah ha ha " in the house. I declared Halloween my favorite holiday last year...  and what to do this year when practically nobody celebrates this special pumpkin season? - A...ha! Mama was thinking! I packed along some face paint in my suitcase just for the occasion!!! I-actually thought a bit ahead and it paid off BIG TIME.

and I packed away a spiderman suite for Keo, although...he wanted to be Power-Ranger instead - so we made some adjustments to his face and it worked out: Spider Ranger!

Then we hit the streets of Euro Disneyland Village (not the actual park) and...

 Kenji Breakdanced!

Now how is that for a Halloween evening?

Go Kenji go!

I have never seen Kenji on such a roll before. If we weren't going to go to party then Kenji was going to bring a party to us! He danced his little heart away to a local street group playing Michael Jackson. It was quite a sight!

And then it was time for candy...uh oh... 

I didn't have any candy.

"Mama, when can we go trick or treating?"

"Well honey, I'm not sure we can, they just don't do it here..."

"What!" ----(not what? but what!)

Then - I found this:

Cha ching!

Problem solved.

"Kids, just knock on the plastic door! and say trick or treat!"

 

I'd like to say Kenji's face looked like this when I said that...but it didn't. It looked quite the opposite, but, when mama said "Smile" ..he smiled.
Sweet boy my Kenji...

And here we are, faces painted too. 

You know what? It was so outrageous. I would be sitting on the bench at Euro Disney and people would come up and say: "Madam! Where did you get your face done? and where can I get mine done?!" 

 and I would think to myself "are they talking about this hot mess on my face? and then politely say:

"oh,.. I did it at home.." 

and then they would say:

"Oh Madam! you could be making a fortune here on the streets doing that!" 

Seriously, it was like they'd never seen a painted face before. Ehh..thanks but no thanks.

 

To wrap it up, our evening was alright. I don't think I'll ever go to Euro Disney on Halloween though again, unless you actually go in the park..that may be lots of fun. 

On the way home though we passed by an old dark "haunted" castle near JM's town. Now that would have been awesome to stop by at!  

Note to myself: Next time, while in Paris, on Halloween: take advantage of the castles and dungeons in and around town and skip out on the commercial drama of the French very Hollow Halloween.

P.S. Thank you for our very fun Halloween package with candy and cards!!!