I cannot remember having so much fun for Halloween since I was a kid. I suppose that having an excuse to act like a child again is one of the perks of having children of your own. Anyway, Halloween kicked off early this year with my Mom and I spending a few days designing and making Jonathan a Yoda costume. I'll be the first to admit that I am a perfectionist, but I honestly couldn't believe how well the costume turned out.

Jonathan got his first chance to wear the full costume on Saturday. We went with my parents and my brother Tom to Monty's Blue Plate Diner in Madison for brunch before starting the annual collection of confectionary treats. To complement Jonathan's costume, Tom and I decided to pull together some quick Star Wars costumes of our own, Darth Vadar and Obi-Wan Kenobi respectively. Jeanine was in the spirit too, wearing the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter, something she claims will be her Halloween staple from now on. Little did any of us know that the restaurant was having a Halloween costume contest, but more on that in a moment.

After brunch we headed to the Henry Vilas Zoo downtown for some trick or treating. Quite a large crowd showed up for a beautiful fall day. In fact, there were so many people that the line for candy wrapped around onto itself forming a circle. I was a bit concerned that Jonathan was going to lose his patience, but the hoards of other kids in costumes (including a Clone Trooper and several Mini-Vadars) and the occassional sweet kept him occupied. By the end of the day, we were all a bit wiped out and ready to head home, but not before an epic lightsaber battle that rivaled anything you have seen on the silver screen.

Just when I thought this Halloween had finally come to an end, I received a phone call a few days later from someone at the diner. The man told me that Yoda had won the costume contest and dinner for four. Looking back, I think that it is probably safe to say that the Force was with us this Halloween.