Sugar Sprites & Other Delights

Last night, while most children were being bathed and sung to and tucked into bed, this is what my children (and husband and I) were doing:

I have not explored a whole lot of areas in Edmonton, but so far my very favorite place to explore in is the Whitemud Creek Ravine. It is absolutely huge. There are well-travelled and maintained trails as well as the less travelled trails (pictured above) that started as animal trails. We explored the ravine for 3 hours, and then we lost the sunlight. It was handy to have a flashlight to make our way out of the ravine. I was impressed that we didn't get lost. Or wet.


On another note, Halloween is fast approaching. My boys LOVE Halloween. They love to dress up (almost daily), and they love trick-or-treating. Yes, we are one of the few Christian families who trick-or-treat or acknowledge Halloween in any way. If you ask my boys what Halloween is about, they will answer "Halloween is all about the candy!!!" And, seriously, it is all about the candy for us. Woot! If you know me, you know I LOVE candy. So don't send me any hate mail about how pagan I am because we knock on doors asking for candy.

We have started a new tradition this year. I just found out about the Sugar Sprites. I didn't know about them until just a few days ago. The Sugar Sprites survive in the summertime by gathering nectar from the flowers (and I suspect they also get into the hummingbird feeders). But come winter, their struggle for survival increases as the months progress. A long time ago they heard that human children gather candy on Halloween night and they started visiting houses of generous and kind children to gather candy for their families to last them the winter. Now, the Sugar Sprites go from house to house looking for candy that is left out for them. They take the designated candy and in it's place leave a small token of thanks - a toy, a book, or even $5.
This year my boys will be collecting candy mainly for the Sugar Sprites. They will select a few pieces of candy to enjoy and give the rest to the sprites. And in return, the Sugar Sprites will show their gratitude with a gift in return. It's win-win.

Spread the word about the Sugar Sprites! They need our help!