It was a marathon Halloween fun day for the girls and I yesterday and what a GREAT day to run around all day -- the weather was perfect (finally). We left home at 9 a.m. and never got back until after 6 p.m. -- tired, dirty kids (and Mommy) in tow.

First they had their preschool Halloween Parade-around-the-block. I can sum it up for you -- almost every girl was a princess and almost every boy was a superhero. At 3 & 4 they are already very aware of their gender.

After school, it was off to Aunt Pam's office, Grandma's and then to the newspaper where we do an annual trick-or-treating event for our employees children (or grandchildren) -- parading them through all the departments. I was a little disappointed I wasn't working yesterday -- I couldn't see everyone else's kids (but, we take photos and they're all on display today).

We stopped at the Plymouth for a quick lunch and then drove (for miles and miles and miles, it seemed) to Port Farms Pumpkin Farm in Waterford. Some friends had raved about it and it was such a great day that we decided to check it out.

Let me just tell you -- that place was a preschooler's paradise. They had all these slides, a little corn maze, a little hay maze, goats and sheep to pet, a tricycle race track, a little village complete with play cars and houses, hay wagon rides, dogs to pet and -- the coolest cornbox (?) -- it was like a sandbox, only it was filled with kernals of field corn -- the kids LOVED it.

And, get this, the concession stand sells PB&J -- for a $1! Actually, all of their prices were reasonable at the concession stand. (Admission was $5 for kids and $3 for children.)

They had plastic adirondack chairs everywhere so parents could sit and watch the kids play (or, join in...all of the stuff was parent-friendly -- including the slides, which were a BLAST!).

The best part -- they're open during the day -- perfect for little ones who may be intimated by older kids (my kids sometimes are).

Of course, today is the last day for the Halloween festivities at Port Farms, but I still wanted to tell you about the place so you can put it on your list of to-do's for next fall. It really was worth the money and the long drive (for us Waterford is a long drive).

We got there at 3 p.m. and I had to drag the kids out of the cornbox kicking and screaming at 6 p.m. as the sun was going down.

Got home and peeled their clothes off for the 2nd bath of the day and corn came raining out of every pocket, shoe and hood -- evidence of one fun, albeit corny, day.