Halloween Happenings

You don't have to tell me that I'm a lucky kid. I know that I'm lucky! My Mom loves Halloween as much as I do and we think the celebration starts on October 1! There are a lot of Halloween happenings in and around the Chicago area and we take in many.

Some though, are better than others...

I just KNEW I was right to be cranky on Saturday, October 24 when we headed down to the Daley Center for the Franken Plaza. They did give out candy and had a cool craft with this playdough like stuff that turned hard but to be honest, the best thing about the plaza was the statue. Mom really likes the Midnight Circus, but sorry Mom, I'm busy! As much as she likes the performers, I just can't give the whole Plaza thing more than a 2 star rating.

I refuse to attend the Renaissance Faire without my Knightly attire, so any chance I can wear one of my Mom's costumes I jump at. Mom custom designed me my own Prince Phillip wear right down to his awesome red cape. Believe it or not, I'm the director behind all of Mom's Halloween antics. I pick the story, then I cast all of the characters, and then Mom sews the costumes. This year I became enamoured with Sleeping Beauty (though Wendy from Peter Pan will always be my first love). And Prince Phillip ROCKS! He fights dragons and gets to kiss a beautiful girl. Honestly? What is not to love? My Au Pair Gift even joined in our Holiday spirit rounding out our Sleeping Beauty theme as Malificent! Isn't she great? If I don't marry Fiona from my pre-school class I've decided to marry Mom. That's why I cast her as Sleeping Beauty.

But I digress...some happenings are so-so and some are SOOO Awesome! In my opinion, Fall cannot arrive without a day spent at County Line Orchard. Mom took me to pick apples last year and I surprised her by remembering every detail. Sheesh Mom your memory goes as you get OLD not when you're four! This place has no gimicks, just live goats, a real Corn Maze, a Moo-Choo and apple trees as far as you can see! You do it all yourself there, pick your own apples and pumpkins and cook your own hot dogs. That's the coolest thing about it! I could spend all day there! And in fact, I have.

The Maze is VAST! Word to the wise, visit the potty prior to entering...

I LOVE County Line orchard! And guess what! They're having a Halloween Party on the 30th which Prince Phillip, Aurora and Malificent will be attending! I can't wait! Double the Candy! (we still will be trick or treating on the 31st of course) County Line not only do you get a Tynan 5 star rating, I'm awarding you Tynan's Best Autum Activity!

Review of Where the Wild Things Are

On October 16, 2009 we made a point to pre-purchase tickets for a matinee of Where the Wild Things Are directed by Spike Jonze. This movie was supposed to be an adaptation of one of my very favorite bedtime stories, but the truth is...I didn’t really like it. I’m four, I need action not existentialism. The movie was slow and Mom used a fancy word…what was it? A-ha! Depressing! Not sure what that means, but I’m with her.

I always pictured Max as a boy like myself. I don’t mean to get in trouble, but I’ve noted that when I am tired I tend to go a little crazy. I don’t have a wolf costume…I prefer ocelots myself, but I have worked myself into an imaginative frenzy and collapsed into a mega power nap. Like Max, I have awakened from my dream journey to find my mother has forgiven my spilling of milk and the nails that I placed in her walls. The Max of Maurice Sendak’s and I are very much alike and last time I checked, I was not a disturbed child in need of an intervention.

The monsters of the book are weird too be sure, but in a good way. In the movie, however, the notable monster with the striped top half was turned into a bipolar metaphor! Um…not sure what that means either…all I know is that one minute he was happy and the next he was trying to kill Max. Not “eat him up,” I mean KILL him! That was pretty disturbing for me; I haven’t felt like reading my book Where the Wild Things Are in weeks.

In the book, Max learns as all we four year olds eventually do (even though we still need to be reminded…often) that there is a time for pretend and a time to give our mother’s a break. Max chooses to leave the wild things for the love of his mother. He has caused them no harm and has had a good rumpus. In the movie Max seems to leave them worse off then they were when he arrived which was awful. And sad. And Max hurt them; he made them bleed…on purpose! Mom believes in spanking for that kind of offense. Though I would never keep throwing dirt clods at a Monster who was crying and bleeding. Never in one hundred million forty thirteen years!

The monsters looked really good, they were like real so I guess the movie had that going for it but I really thought it was unfair of Mr. Jonze to take MY story and make it so…inaccessible to me. I’m who it was written for afterall.