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A Halloween Weekend of Pumpkins and Costumes, 2009

·San Francisco, California·#bay area#family#autumn#trick-or-treating#halloween#costumes
A child carves a large pumpkin, surrounded by other pumpkins and carving tools on a plastic sheet outdoors.

Halloween in 2009 started with the essentials: pumpkin carving. We spread out a plastic sheet on the patio on a bright, sunny afternoon. Our daughter, looking very serious in her red dress, got to work scooping out the pulp and seeds. She managed two pumpkins, and seemed pretty pleased with the results.

That evening, friends came over. The award for best costume definitely went to the baby dressed as a piece of sushi, complete with a green wasabi hat, strapped into a carrier on her dad's chest. He and his wife dressed as sushi chefs to complete the look. It was a perfect family costume.

Once it got dark, we headed out into the neighborhood for trick-or-treating. Our little crew included a pilot with a homemade plane and a light-up torch, and a friend dressed as a garden gnome in a pointy red hat. They made the rounds on the dark streets, holding out their bags at each doorway, completely focused on the candy.

A child in a red dress carves a pumpkin on an outdoor patio, with two other pumpkins and carving tools visible.A child in a red dress carves a pumpkin outdoors on a sunny day, with another pumpkin and a toy bat nearby.A smiling man in a white shirt carries a baby dressed as sushi, with another man and a child in a red hat in the background.A man dressed as a sushi chef holds a baby as a sushi roll, next to a woman in a karate uniform, indoors.Three children in Halloween costumes stand outdoors at night: a pilot, a child holding a pink bag, and a gnome with an Elmo bag.Three children in costumes stand outside at night: a pilot, a girl, and a gnome holding an Elmo basket.Two young children in Halloween costumes stand by a wooden door, each holding a trick-or-treat bag.Two costumed children stand outdoors at night, with a brightly lit tree and white columns in the background.

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