Ghosts of Halloween Past

I have conflicting feelings about Halloween.  I despise getting dressed up.  Me and costumes just don't get along.  However, I am crazy about dressing my kids up.  I love picking out their costumes and parading them around.  Of course, I am nuts about all the candy involved in Halloween, but I don't really care for trick-or-treating.  When I was growing up, my dad always took us out to collect candy while my mom stayed home and passed out the candy.  We don't get any trick-or-treaters in our sidewalk-less, street light-less neighborhood, so all the kids walk one neighborhood over where they go all out.  And I mean all out!  There is one block where every house spends what seems like thousands of dollars on a new theme each year.  At one house, a woman dresses as a witch and opens the door along with her pet rat.

Since no one comes to our door, there isn't really a reason for me to stay home and drink wine while passing out candy.  For some reason I hate following my hyped up on sugar kids from house to house in the dark trying to keep up with their friends and not get too frightened by the really spooky houses.  To me it's just a dad thing.  Last year Gloppy got me out of it when before we even hit one house he was terrified and I mean seriously terrified by a kid in a wolf costume.  He would not let go of my neck or lift his head off my shoulder.  I had to take him home and put him to bed while Mr. Mint took the girls out to collect sweets.   I have a feeling this year I won't be so lucky.  He wants a bag full of candy like his sister's.  

So I will suck it up and we'll have a good time despite my fear of losing one of my kids in the dark streets to a goblin or other monster.   Really it's just the trick-or-treating that I don't like.   I love to go to the kids Halloween parades at their schools and see what the popular costumes are and what the Martha Stuart mom's come up with.  I love taking pictures in the pumpkin patch and seeing how the pumpkins my kids pick out get bigger and bigger each year.  I love the ghost, bat, spider and witch crafts that come home from school.  I love carving pumpkins and roasting seeds.  I love that in all of my "October" photo collections there are pictures of us at the beach in the beginning of the month, and pictures of us in winter jackets or in front of a cozy fire at the end of the month.  I love the crisp autumn air and changing colors on our walk to school.  But most of all, I love the Kit Kat's that soon will fill my house.

Here's a little photo tour of our Halloween's past.  

2002 

This is Frostine and Lolly's first Halloween.  They were 2 months old and I was still in new motherhood shock.  We didn't go trick or treating and I am surprised I even managed to get costumes.  They look pretty darn cute though, no?

2003

I loved their costumes that year.  Frostine was a strawberry and Lolly was a lamb.  They were 14 months old and I was amazed how far they walked that evening while trick or treating.  The strawberry costume is my all time favorite.  She looked so darn cute.  The next morning they forgot about all the candy, so I probably gained about five pounds that year.

2004

They were still young enough here (just turned two) that I had great influence over their costume choices.  Lolly was a glitter witch and Frostine was a pixie.  I wasn't able to steal quite as much of their stash that year.  I remember being near collapse when we got home since I was two months pregnant with Gloppy.

2005

Aaaaand we entered the princess phase.  Three year old Lolly and Frostine were obviously Ariel and Cinderella.  There was absolutely no talking them out of it, so I embraced it.  They had magic wands, sparkly shoes, the works.  My five month old little Gloppy made a quite an adorable little frog.  He fell asleep in the baby bjorn about five minutes into trick or treating.  

2006

I still have no idea how I talked 4 year old Lolly and Frostine out of being princesses again, but whatever I bribed them with did the trick.  They were the most precious kitty cat's ever.  The black make-up was a mess by the end of the night, but it was worth it.  The only thing 1.5 year old Gloppy could say was "woof" so his costume was a no brainer.  It was a good year.

2007

Ah yes.  Halloween 2007.  I was apparently unable to talk the five year olds out of being princesses.   I was however, happy they picked less "popular" princesses and went for Jasmine and Mulan.  I couldn't find a picture showing the feet, but the shoes for both costumes were the best part.  Jasmine (Lolly) had pink, glittery slides with gold trim, a tassel and an up turned toe.  Mulan (Frostine) had gorgeous red flats embossed in gold and an emblem on the top.   I tried my hardest to bribe Gloppy out of the Thomas costume.  Alas, there was nothing else he wanted to be.  Thomas the Train and I do not get along so well.   There really isn't a more annoying TV show for children (besides Caillou).   But for 2.5 year old little boys, that show is like crack.  For a while he refused to wear clothes under his costume.  He almost went as "naked trainman."  I think the chill in the air changed his mind.

Stay tuned for a recap of Halloween '09 costumes and festivities.  It should be a good one.