#Spooktacular Fun at #SesamePlace {PHOTOS}

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

Have you been to Sesame Place for the Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place this fall? Saturday and Sunday (October 26 & 27) are the last days to play. Here are some photos from our recent visit.  

Check out the rest of my photos on Instagram! Follow me @LaliQuin

Related Posts: 

• Navigating Sesame Place When You Have a Kid with Autism 
• Ways To Save Money at Sesame Place 

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

A Pumpkin Story | #YoursToTell

Be sure to have your volume on - Enjoy 

And did you know we live a short drive away from Sleepy Hollow? I shared our experience over on Babble...check out our  Sunday Afternoon At Sleepy Hollow for Halloween Fun

The Boy as Boba Fett - Halloween 2011



"No bounties on you... a shame."





"Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold."





"Beware the wrath of the Fetts!"



Boy Meets Pumpkin

All month long The Husband had been bugging me about carving a pumpkin.  I bought stickers and last week The Husband and The Boy decorated the pumpkin together.  Halloween isn't really my thing.  So I figured sticking stickers on a pumpkin would be enough.  Yeah...not really.   

This year is the first year that The Boy is excited about it.  He gets it. On Friday I asked what Monday was and he said "Halloween!" with the biggest grin.  (Although Saturday's snow storm confused him and told us it was Christmas.)  So The Boy knows he will get dressed up, go from door to door begging for candy that I will probably not let him eat (because let's be for real, The Boy does NOT  need any candy). 

While taking pics of The Boy with his pumpkin, The Husband told me that he had never carved a pumpkin before.  And I realized why carving a pumpkin meant so much.  I guess it's true what they say, we really do live out a second childhood with our children.  :) 



Um...You want me to do what?

 

 



All Done! 

Don't know what to do with your pumpkin seeds?  Check out this post by Nicole Presley of Presley's Pantry (wish I would have seen it yesterday, I threw out the seeds).   

What To Do With Pumpkin Seeds? Make spicy curry pumpkin-seeds or halloween maracas for all to hear. 

What do you do with your pumpkin seeds?  Let me know! 

Beware of El Cuco, Not Johnny Depp

When it comes to Halloween, I'm probably the least fun person in the world.  I don't care for dressing up or watching scary movies.  Sleepy Hollow is about as scary as I'll get and I really only watch that because my Johnny (swoon) is in it.  Come to think of it, the only other scary movie I'm up for watching is Nightmare on Elm Street - also featuring Johnny.  I'm beginning to see a pattern here...

So the point is - I am not one of those people who enjoys being scared poopless.  No I don't want to watch The Shining or Paranormal Activities or a Friday the 13th movie.  No I don't want to go into the haunted house at the amusement park. I am not that kind of gal.  I scare too easily - my imagination goes into overdrive.  The few times I've been forced to watch scary movies, they've kept me up all night (with all the lights on), for many nights following.  NOT FUN!  I dare not mention any of them, I'd like to get some sleep tonight.  

  

Fear of things that go bump in the night, often begins at childhood.  Growing up, the thing that scared me the most was El Cuco.  For those unfamiliar with El Cuco, it is the Latino equivalent to the Boogey Man.

I don't even know what El Cuco look likes.  But I imagined him as a crazy looking monster of a man, with rotting teeth, blood red eyes and filthy claw like hands.  El Cuco lurked in the dark, doing horrible things to children who disobeyed their elders. 

These horrible things were never quite explained but at 5 years old, I wasn't taking any chances. 



Not really El Cuco
but if I had to imagine him,
this is really close.
(painting by Francisco Goya)

While my mother threatened me with her chancla, my father threatened me with El Cuco. 

El Cuco was always going to get me.  It was my father who put this fear of El Cuco in my young mind. He would quickly flicker the lights on and off a few times, "El Cuco's going to get you!" he'd yell.  And I'd scream, begging forgiveness and promising to behave. 

I remember some nights falling asleep with my hand wrapped tightly around my bed rails, just in case El Cuco had plans of snatching me in my sleep.  Which in retrospect seems stupid because (a) if El Cuco really wanted me he would have cut off my hand and (b) El Cuco is not even real so why I am even analyzing this...

What was your  childhood fear?   

Post inspired by Mama Kat "Something that scared the Hell out of you when you were a child. (inspired by Mama Sick)"
   

Where Oh Where Did October Go?

It's October 23rd and we have yet to pick an apple or a pumpkin.   

At this point, we probably won't.   Come to think of it, we haven't done anything that screams fall family fun.  (Like go to the Great Pumpkin Blaze.) I feel bad about this.  I hate feeling as if I'm not doing enough for The Boy.  But it's been a tough month for all of us. Even our poor Betty Blue Subaru has taken a beating. 

Oct 2010: The Great Pumpkin Blaze

Fall 2010 HHG class trip

Fall 2010 HHG class trip

This morning I told The Husband that we need to buy The Boy a Halloween costume. 

"Why?  We have 2 more weeks," The Husband says.

"Um no.  We don't.  It's next Monday."

So we set off in search of one. Arriving at Store #1, The Boy said "Yes!  I love Halloween!"

 

Inside Store #1 was a MAD HOUSE.  And the process was dramatic.  Wait on a line.  Then pick out your costume from the wall.  Then wait for someone to bring it out.  The line wrapped around to the next aisle.  Navigating the crowded  store with The Boy was difficult.  Especially with bins of candy EVERYWHERE. 

Store #2 was not at all crowded.  But The Husband didn't approve of the costumes.  He sort of takes this Halloween stuff seriously.  So we left to Store #3.  On the way to Store #3 The Husband says, "Hey Babe, did you know the McRib is back?"  The Husband and I discuss the big issues.

Store #3 was a success!  Now The Boy has a cool costume - one that The Husband is extremely proud of.  (You'll see those photos next Sunday.)  

This is the first year, The Boy seems to be really excited about Halloween.   When he saw the plastic pumpkins in Store #3, he said "We need to find the perfect pumpkin!" 

At this point, we won't have the time to go and pick the perfect pumpkin but there's nothing stopping me from just going to the supermarket to buy one.

And there's one more weekend left in October.  I will make it up to him.

Tonight we'll read his favorite Halloween books (Good Night Goon and Happy Halloween Little Critter) at bedtime.  Maybe we'll even watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  

I tell myself that it's not always about where we go or what we do - so long as we are together.  

The Boy waiting patiently for  lunch

  
What's a Sunday like in your City?  My Sundays are pretty boring lately - but the folks over here seem to know how to have a good time.  Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City.              

An Unlikely Nemisis

It all began three years ago, around this time of year.  The Boy and I were home watching cartoons, when these little guys - Moose A. Moose and Zee - came on singing, "I don't like candy corn." 

AND THE BOY FREAKED OUT!  I mean crying, running to his room, screaming NO NO NO - freaking out.

Huh?  What I miss?

The Boy used to LOVE them!  Especially Zee.  Before the diagnosis, I used to think The Boy was flapping because he was imitating Zee.  (I know, I was completely clueless.)

And while candy corn is my least favorite candy in the whole wide world, I kind of like Moose A. Moose and Zee.  Not only are they totally adorable.  But I'll admit, their lyrics are catchy. 

We haven't watching Noggin since.  If it's on at a friends house, we either have to leave or they need to change the channel.  I mean, I really don't get it; he loves everything else on the channel: Dora, Diego, The Wonder Pets, Backyardigans...but once he sees that yellow moose - it's over.



(Staying at the Nickelodeon Hotel back in June was quite interesting.  On the 2nd day, Moose A Moose and Zee were playing on the lobby televisions and we had to run out.  For the remainder of the week, when walking through the lobby, me or The Husband had to walk up ahead - to make sure the coast was clear.) 



Look at how cute they are! 
I just don't get it. 

As another Halloween approaches, I'd like to sing this song with him.  I'd like to be able for The Boy not to live in fear of this moose and his side kick.

Are your kids afraid of something that makes no sense to you?   How do you help them get over their fear?