kiwi halloween, take two … (Patreon)

hello loves.

i’m still reading and responding to all the comments on yesterday’s new song post. thank you all so much for listening and writing in. (here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58011667)

so….despite the fact that 1) we couldn’t go trick or treating because of lockdown and 2) this was ash’s second halloween in a row without his dad which is funny given that his dad is the king of nightmares and 3) as a new englander, i find it super-weird to be doing halloween in SPRING when everything is bursting to life instead of the way it’s supposed to be i.e. DEAD AND DECAYING…despite that, this was the most wonderful halloween i’ve ever had.

because ash is young enough not to fully grok the rituals, i didn’t mention anything about halloween doings in case it rained. it didn’t rain. we got a text invite from a local friend to join for a halloween distance walk.

but i was tired. we almost didn’t go. but i was like…come on, exhausted lockdown woman, make an effort. i informed ash at 4pm that he was gonna need a costume.

ash decided - left to own devices in his bedroom - to be a WOLF BALLERINA. (to clarify, and i did ask: “a wolf disguised as a ballerina. not a ballerina disguised as a wolf”.)

and we walked. ash was - as kids should be on halloween - deliciously delighted by hijinks that the community here dreamed up, being as creative as they could with the covid. we howled and sang at the top of our lungs. we trekked through the muddy bush following glowing costumes.

as the sun set, i watched ash gaze in wonder at these weird, awesome kiwis doing halloween like i remember it being as a kid: homespun and low to no-budget and absolutely…magical. he fell asleep, stuffed with candy, whispering “this is halloween, la la la la” from “the nightmare before christmas” over and over again. then, miraculously, for the first night in a week, he did not wake me up in the middle of the night with nightmares. i guess it worked. our howling scared away the demons. maybe this really is why we do this.

i just realized that i never took a picture of myself. my narcissism really has been THAT crushed by motherhood. i looked HOT! i was a pirate with a pet spider. we were also sent two candy care packages from two new kiwi pals.

dammit. thank you, beautiful country, and new kiwi friends.

thank you for taking care of my kid and giving him a perfect lockdown halloween.

🎃💀🇳🇿

xxx

AFP

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