charlie brown in the 'hood

Blake took the day off work so that he could join Garrett and I as we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We all had a fabulous time. The weather was perfect, allowing even for us to let Charlie Brown go without a coat. I mentioned last year that in Brooklyn a lot of the trick-or-treating is hosted by the shop owners down the busy avenues, as opposed to at homes in residential areas. So first we hit up a few of stores near our home, including the copy shop, the grocery store, the pediatrician's office, and the laundromat. Then we headed to a residential street we had on good authority was a great spot to clean up. They weren't kidding. We walked up and down both sides of one street visiting the neighbors, who were waiting on their stoops with cauldrons full of treats, and built up a candy supply that will last Garrett for months. Everyone got a kick out of Charlie Brown and his Snoopy, while Charlie Brown was bewildered at the fact that people were so freely doling out goodies.



Back at home, we dumped Garrett's stash onto the living room floor to inspect it. For a sixteen-month-old who only stopped at a few places, his collection was not shabby at all -- much better than the rocks his cartoon counterpart got. Garrett enjoyed wading through his goodies, testing out how crinkly the packaging was, attempting to eat suckers that hadn't yet been unwrapped, and, of course, sharing a little with his parents. He was happy, we were happy. I'd say it's been a devilishly good holiday.

Happy Halloween!