Trick or what?
I have mixed feelings about Halloween.
I don’t like being frightened. I don’t like candy.
I do like pumpkins, but I enjoy them for several months with or without October 31st festivities and I resent the fact that carving them inevitably leaves a shriveled, moldy mess.
For the children
In years past, we’ve handed out playdough and stickers (totally passable with the preschool crowd we get at our door) and sort of let the holiday pass us by. But this year Scott’s offhand remark a few days beforehand changed everything:
“You know, it’s a shame to lose out on the excitement of dressing up and meeting neighbors just because we aren’t big candy fans. I’ll bet Mackenzie would LOVE Halloween if we gave her the chance.”
And lo, a light went on in the attic and I realized he was totally correct. Mackenzie loves traditions, anything special and exciting, and she especially loves to dress up. So I started talking up The Big Day.
She decided on wearing the Chinese pajamas her Uncle and Aunt brought home from a recent trip. I still had a dalmatian costume I threw together for Mackenzie years ago so Caitlyn was set. Scott went as a doctor (natch) and at the very last minute he talked me into donning my red feetie pajamas and going as a clown.
We made the most of the day with a trip to the zoo, a trip to Chipotle (switching Mackenzie to a farmer so we could get a discounted burrito for her and her fellow farm dweller, the dalmatian), and trick or treating.
Moment of the Week – October 31st, 2011
Mackenzie had talked excitedly all day about “trick or treating” but before we headed out I took a few minutes to review how it plays out.
Me: First, we will walk up to a door and ring the doorbell or knock. Then we wait. When someone answers the door, we look them in the eye, smile and say… what?
Mackenzie: Trick or treat!!!!
Me: Yep, and then they might just give us… what?
Mackenzie: (says nothing, has a baffled expression)
Me: Candy?
Mackenzie: (Eyes growing huge in disbelief…) REALLY?!
She seriously had no idea.
Runners up
#1: We had her choose 10 pieces of candy total to keep and eat (note to self: Next year go with 5). She made piles of candy by type, as I remember doing so well as a kid. Then she chose one of each type of candy until she got to 10.
Scott and I both winced automatically as she chose a mini Snickers instead of a fun-size Snickers and again when she traded a fun-size Milky Way in for a lame purple Now-And-Later (she loves purple). We exchanged alarmed glances and had a quick huddle as to whether we should guide her candy choices. What kind of parents would we be if we let her make such a poor trade?!
#2: After opening her second piece of candy of the night, Mackenzie made the following comment: “Oh look, it’s another little loaf of bread!”
It was apparent she had never seen a candy bar before.
Yeah.
Oh how fun to read about your “memory making holiday”! Love the pictures! You have a gift for writing Anne!
i’m glad you took part! it’s such a fun thing as a kid.
Awww….so sorry I missed it all. Looks like a great Halloween was had by all.
This cracked me up. Did you decide to guide her candy choices in the end, or just let her go with it?
I have to comment here, because I hate the candy part of the holiday, but love the rest. Here is what we do: we hand out play dough ~ and found that ‘surprise!’ the teenagers liked this best. They were coming back for more! We have an awesome neighborhood for Halloween. Our neighbors across the street play a movie above their garage and my kids would rather sit in the driveway and watch than trick or treat. But, we do a little of that too. I just let them eat as much as they want that night and then it’s gone. They’re so sick the next day that they clearly know why candy isn’t a regular thing around here. We take the yuck candy away (now or later type things…Andrew has crowns, so he can’t eat them anyway and we’ve clued the girls in on how gross they are) This year, I dressed up with a friend of mine as witches and we went around to our kids classes and passed out poison apples. We transported the apples in a little red wagon covered in fake spiderwebs and a skeleton in the corner. The kids thought it was hilarious and everyone took an apple. (We must not have been too scary!) Kathryn was an accomplice and dressed as Snow White, so I think they helped them trust us a little