Mrs Bean does Hallowe'en

Sadly one of the things I seem to have inheritted from my family is the "Mr Bean" gene. We walk into lamposts, walk into doors and slam into people carrying dips. Today my contribution to society was to give most of the people at Tesco's garage a good chuckle.

Yesterday I had to pop into work, I took Ciaran in with me, sent out an agenda and headed home. On the way the low petrol light came on and I decided that I would get the kids home safely and then head out in the evening to fill up. Obviously I forgot to go out and get petrol.

This afternoon the kids and I got dressed, me in a long black and red number, possibly the Bride of Dracula - who knows, Ciaran as a spider and Ben as a bat. We then piled into the car to start our trick or treating at my parent's house. Drat - the red light was still on and the petrol would now be really low.

There was no choice but to fill up, so I decided to go to use a pay at pump machine. That way the boys would be watched by me at all time and I would not have to walk inside the kiosk dressed up as a vampiress. I pulled up at the the pump, steeled myself for the embaressment of filling up in fancy dress and got out the car.

The first pump had a big sign on it saying to pay at the kiosk - to the suprise of the people standing around and filling up their cars, I ducked back into the car. There was no way I could queue up to pay. Then the car to my left side finished up and there was a space at a pump where the pay machine was working, problem solved! Sadly not...

My driving is not the best. I decided to reverse up and then pull forward into the space and managed to wedge the wheels hard against the pump. Blushing I pulled forward and decided to head forward and then reverse up to the pump. After four goes of heading back and forward I was finally vaguely near the pump. Now most people would stare at such comicly bad driving, but to follow it up by being in fancy dress was just too much. I kept my eyes on the pump and left with ten pounds worth of petrol instead of the full tank I had planned to get.

Thankfully the children are too young to be embaressed by their parents (for now at least) and enjoyed an evening of showing off their costumes, watching their Daddy light the pumpkin, getting fruit and sweeties and then bobbing for apples with me and hubby.

Ben has a good bobbing technique, he gets the stalk between his teeth rather than sticking his head in the water to get a good bite on the apple; Ciaran (bless him) tried to have a go but accepted the substitute of me holding a wet apple up to his face; when it was my go Ben decided to help me by pushing my head down a bit further while warning me not to get my hair wet.

We've got some scary food to eat tomorrow, so far I've made brain balls (popcorn stuck together with marshmallows and green colouring) and jelly filled oranges with jack o lantern faces cut in them. Having never done Hallowe'en before I am suprised by how fulfilling it is to see the kids having fun and to get a bit crazy and creative.

Happy and safe Hallowe'en to everyone.