After a sustained period of ‘advance’ posting, I find myself writing ‘live’ again. My plan to get ahead again on blogging during the recent half-term break was a spectacular failure.

Well, a failure anyway.

I’m actually not sure I can justify the adjective. There was nothing particularly spectacular about it.

Or spooktacular either.

Which would have been appropriate, given that ’twas Halloween but a few days ago.

An event which largely passed me by, as it happens, because I was otherwise occupied on the day and had no time for ghosts and ghouls.

If I’m honest, I don’t even really know what a ghoul is.

But my daughters were surprisingly unbothered by Halloween as well. Mostly, I think, because their school Halloween-themed disco had taken place a week earlier, when it wasn’t Halloween but was still term time.

The term-timeness of the day was of more relevance than the Halloweeness because their school needed to be open in order to host the event. I suppose it could have had a different theme given that it was a week early for Halloween proper, but I don’t think anyone begrudged the spooky theme.

I say disco, but it was, in fact, discos. Plural. Because there were different events for different age groups.

Mini Proclaims was up first, and while Little Proclaims left school at the normal time, Mini remained and had her disco as an extension of the school day. Mini Proclaims therefore took her costume to school with her that day.

She went as the pinkest of princesses, having acknowledged the memo about ‘dressing up’ while ignoring the memo about the Halloween theme. I picked her up an hour later and she stood by her choice and declared the evening (which was in fact a late afternoon) to be a success.

She had eaten a lot of sweets.

We’re not sure who financed the sugar rush as her age group were not permitted spending money. What with not having mastered even the most basic understanding of economics yet.

Upon returning Mini Proclaims to Proclaims Towers, I then immediately had to walk Little Proclaims to her disco.

Little Proclaims had invested a little more in the theme of the evening, but had required only a few embellishments to her normal outfit as she decided to go as Hermione Granger out of Harry Potter. The books more so than the films (or indeed upcoming TV show) as she is currently reading the books. Her costume really meant keeping on her school uniform with a few small tweaks, which essentially meant wearing a gold and crimson tie, matching headband, a cloak which we recycled from last year’s costume (which was a more traditional witch) and a plastic wand.

She was permitted spending money, which I provided on the understanding that she didn’t need to spend it all.

She did spend it all. And all on sweets.

She also declared the evening to be a success.

But that really was Halloween done for us.

To be fair, Mrs Proclaims and I are not big on Halloween in any meaningful sense.

I was once described by someone as a bit of a Scrooge with regards to my attitude towards Halloween, but I take issue with that. I don’t think there’s any evidence that old Ebenezer had a problem with the 31st October.

And I’m a massive fan of Christmas.

I’m also a fan of Guy Fawkes Night.

As are my kids.

We’ve got our tickets for next Saturday’s extravaganza at Newbury Racecourse and the girls are very excited.

It’s a bit further away from Halloween than it has been in previous years, so this year’s event is not being described as Spooktacular, unlike a couple of years ago.

But it will hopefully be more spectacular than my failure to get ahead of my blogging schedule.

Which, as discussed, has not been very spectacular at all.

As failures go.