Halloween class

We are getting ready for Halloween around here. Tessellating Cats quilt up on the wall (black cats up), decorations on the porch. I have mixed feelings about Halloween... I remember my father face painting me when I was a child and dressing up as a fairy and such. In my days the churches weren't promoting Harvest Festival in exchange for Halloween so I was surprised when some Christian friends refused to participate in Halloween activities a few years ago.

Since then I have mentioned to the Christian kindergarten that maybe this isn't a "Christian" activity but the principal considers it all American play and so every year I get dressed up as a witch and hand out cookies. But already I've got little children (granted only one in each class) that are crying about upcoming Halloween activities... We are practicing Halloween vocabulary.

"Look! There's a bat! Look! There's a wizard!"

Most of the kids love it but there are always a couple...

The children who come to my house look forward to Halloween too. Y-kun has been talking about Halloween since the beginning of September and this year he provided me with pumpkins to make Jack-O'Lanterns. He lugged in the first pumpkin in September and the other two came earlier this month.

"Let's make a Jack-O'Lantern!"

"Not this week. It won't last until Halloween if we make it so early."

I have been telling him this since the first pumpkin.

I discussed the situation with Tetsu. Y-kun REALLY wants to make a Jack-O'Lantern. And he carved one himself a couple of months ago (and gave it to me) so I know he can do it. But the idea of knives and Y-kun makes me very nervous and other boys fighting to get involved too? I don't think so.

Tetsu discouraged handing Y-kun a knife (though Y-kun does help me cook, right?). But the pumpkins ARE Y-kun's... Tetsu came home early last night and watched the boys wildly interacting and then took Y-kun aside and together (sort of) carved a pumpkin. Joy! for Y-kun. A lovely huge pumpkin! (By Japanese standards) And everybody got to view the lantern lighting and sit in the dark room for awhile. Yeah! Five happy boys and my front yard is now ready for Halloween.

(I still have two more pumpkins. Do you think Tetsu will carve them for me if I jump up and down with joy?)