Living in America 2011

[MmeBucket]

We were a few messages away from being closed on the other one. Hope everyone finds me here.

I have volunteered to help out at the school party but don't know if i have been accepted yet!
As for making a big fuss, some of the displays I have seen are amazing but I don't have any spare energy so DH and DD will be carving two pumpkins to sit at the top of the steps.
DD insisted on a bunny rabbit costume which we ordered off amazon, there sizing was a bit dodgy so it will involve lots of safety pins to hold it together. DS has a cute dragon/monster outfit which he looks lovely in when he doesn't take it off

OMG - you haven't family themed your costumes? [hshock]

heh, EVERY year I posit a family-themed costume to dh: dog in banana suit, toddler in banana suit, him in banana suit ... me in gorilla suit!

... still not happened.

But then we'd have a gorilla suit! Always on hand! just in case of emergencies!

There should be a [wants gorilla suit] emoticon

possibly a bit over-specialised.

oh my god, is it really this massive?? They have school parties and everything? Oh dear, maybe DS' birthday will be overshadowed after all

Halloween is my absolutely favorite holiday! We were at puppy training class last night. When the instructor mentioned next week I looked around and said, "But next Monday is Halloween." At once the whole class started saying "Oh, I won't be here - can't miss Halloween!!!" So he canceled next week :)

Ds1 wants to go as The Scream, ds2 vacillates but mainly something from Star Wars. I always go as a witch, just never the same costume [hsmile] For a while dh did father and son theme costumes with ds1. One year they were old and young Marlon Brando. That was probably the best. Now ds1 is old enough to refuse. Just broke dh's heart last year.

I love Halloween too, we are all dressing up at work, there is a competition. Last spring I chopped all my hair off for my grandmother who was going through chemo at the time. Now it's in this weird in-between stage. I've been slicking it back with headbands or putting it into the tiniest of little baby ponytails, but for Halloween it's giong to rock - I'm going to slick it over my eyes and be Justin Bieber

Halloween is rather massive. Unless your school is going for PC points and doesn't "do" Halloween parties, and do harvest parties instead. (Like DC's school, and yes I am highly bitter about that. But I'm in charge of DS' party, and have been as subversive about that as I can)

Our DC's will be dressed alike, Jabber. DS is The Scream, and DD will either be a Clone trooper or Darth Vader, depending on which costume fits her better. I guess I'd better get them out to see.

I had no idea how massive it was when I first moved here, but now I get it. ANd it's not just for kids - I teach freshers and every year between 1 and 5 of the 20odd I teach will come to class (either 9am or 2pm) IN FULL COSTUME. They spend the day in costume, as people do in some offices. Cos its' fun.

And it IS fun. I am not traipsing all the way into manhattan in costume, but we have decorated our porch and I will be taking sweets for my students. We're reading some quite heavy stuff, definitely time to break out the nerds and lollipops!

The one thing I'm not happy about is the massive amounts of Halloween-bashing on here because it is "too American". (Although I certainly haven't seen as much about it this year.) I just want to tell people to stop complaining about it because obviously they're not doing it right, or they'd have more fun with it.

Yay, Jabberwocky, you got a dog! Still not managed to acquire one but I have persuaded dh to go out and get not one, not two but three cats. One big ginger tom (neutered, goes by Captain) and then two teeny cutie kittens, Lyra and Kali. I heart my kittens!
As for halloween I asked my neighbour at the bottom of the road what they tend to do and apparently until last year, the people with the huge house would have everyone with kids on the street over after school, then people would divide up to go round all the houses. But they moved, so that might not be happening this year.
And Lambertville (the main town bit by the delaware) has a huge festival which attracts a few hundred people and people go from door to door and the candy litrally gets thrown into the crowd from peoples doorsteps.
Don't think we will be doing that this year but when the kids are bigger it could be fun!

And we will be celebrating the fact (touch wood) that DD is not in hospital and missing all the fun. Phew!

Halloween is much more fun over here as the older kids don't go trick or treating. It's lovely with the little ones. When I lived in the UK I didn't like teenagers banging on my door after 7pm demanding sweets which is how it seems to have spread over there, i.e. not the nice, fun parts of the American tradition have been taken over. I think that's what some people are trying to say, albeit in a clumsy fashion, though of course there are the bigoted, narrow-minded posters too and I'm not going to start defending them. I'm not a big fancy dresser though - maybe in a few years' time!

I miss American Hallowe'en and DS remembers it so it's always a disappointment here. We still get dressed up & do trick or treating and I make a Samhain feast too so, for us, it's a big day and more than am excuse to dress up!

yeah to be honest the trick and treating aspect in London is shite and an excuse for the hoodlums to just run around being pains in the arse, I can imagine if it's a bigger community wide event with smaller children it will be much more fun.

I love having the excuse to dress up - actually it's the ONLY time I bother (and I use the guise of DS's birthday now)...but you do think it can be so big in USA that poor DS won't even know hes got a birthday? (PFB syndrome alert!!)

What's a Samhain feast?!

Can I ask a boring question while I'm here - who did you all do your big move with? Have Pickfords coming on Friday to give me a quote and wasn't sure who else to ask. DH's company is covering the cost but I think they'll give us a budget we have to stick to

Wow, frida, 3 cats! But, you know, my receptionist was wanting a cat several months ago and wound up getting two kittens. It has been really good for them to have each other to play with while she is at work and playing with my dog [hgrin] So now I really get the more than one cat thing.

Girl DS will always have a birthday, just because it falls on a holiday doesn't make it any less special for him or for you! Just make a big deal out of how this day is so special because he was born into YOUR lives and you love him so dearly! Think of how all the Christmas babies must feel...

I can't wait for Halloween - I'm one of those that dresses up in full costume for the whole day. Luckily I get to take my 3-year-old niece & nephew out trick-or-treating - I might have gone by myself otherwise [hgrin] I'm sad when it's over but at least then we have Thanksgiving to think about / decorate for!

Girl, we used Rylands / Brittania, who came yesterday and packed all of our stuff! They were super thorough (though it took 6 hrs!)

Your DS can have the coolest costume b-day parties, the kids will love it and you can make interesting cakes, etc.! [hgrin]

I think they should give up on celebrating Halloween in the UK, as the spirit is a bit lost. I was in a nice restaurant last week when 2 children dressed in costume with their mum walked in and asked customers for money! There was no special cause or anything like that. Very uncomfortable while we were eating. Christmas, on the other hand, is lovely here! :)

what??? that's unbelieveable! It would be sad to stop celebrating it here completely though, just because I know loads of people use it as an excuse for parties, which is no bad thing!

Thanks for the tip, will check Rylands/Brittania - you had your stuff packed yesterday?! Where and where are you going?

In fact is it really boring to ask all of you where you're based?

Our removal company was chosen for us and I can't remember for the life of me who they were!

Mme Bucket - how wild that our kids will be dressed alike! There must be something going on about The Scream that I don't know about. I have noticed kids in the past but maybe it peaks with 3rd graders?

Um, im in Dorset! (ex expat) No idea re removal companies from me. I came & went with 2 suitcases!

Samhain is the pagan celebration on which Hallowe'en is based. It's an important festival. But We do Hallowe'en too

When these threads began, The OP would always include a list of who lived where. I loved seeing who was in the UsmS and knowing where my nearest MNer was!

so what's the feast involve grockle?

OK, shall I get started then we add ourselves? er, what info?

GirlWithTheMouseyHair, Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2011)

OK - will add myself:

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2011)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)