The Halloween Season

I don't know when Halloween went from being a night to a season, but it really has. We started with the Trunk or Treat at church. We had a new family move in next door and Jacob has become good friends with their daughter Lexi. The family came with us and did a great job of trunk decorating, I gave them Cora and my candy and chased the younger kids. Here is Lexi as a pirate.


Next on to the parade and school parties. After running in a bag of candy to Catherine's class, yep sent the other candy in the wrong backpack!, Cora and I walked down Main Street towards Jacob's school. The nice thing about our little town is the schools are close. I have kids in three buildings which makes for interesting party days! On the way there I saw a friend and we started talking. I decided to wait with her for the parade, several other friends gathered at the same spot and it was nice to visit. The Village shuts down Main Street and Pre-K through 5th grade go walking by. It is a lot of fun to see all the costumes.

Jacob had to break ranks to love his bumble bee.

Other then when being loved, she slept through the day, which was so nice!





I don't know why it brought me great pleasure to dress her in bee colors under her bee costume, but I laughed every time I removed it and she was still those colors!




Next on to the BIG night!

These were taken just before trick or treating. We had a Bee, Cat, Cheerleader, and Greaser. Yes, those are Nerds rolled up in his sleeve, and no, I didn't let him do that at school. This year, I decided to let the kids have a little more freedom. I'm working on my control issues, slowly. We walked off our street (That is big time on Halloween) to the subdivision just across from us. I told Catherine and Aaron they had to stay together and could go up and down one street (It was a block long) and then do the same thing at the cul-de-sac over a street. They took off. Jacob and I followed, pushing Cora in the stroller. It was almost dark and I could see these streaks of white darting in and out as they ran full speed from house to house. They had a blast! Jacob meanwhile was having a great time himself. Even the chronically dissatisfied have to love free candy. He had nothing but nice things to say about the decorations, the candy, landscaping, he would say, "I'm going to that one, I love that house!" "They have pretty flowers, I love that house." He was very brave and would leave Cora and I on the sidewalk as he went and said Trick or Treat, followed by thank you. On one occasion he got confused and tried to trick or treat to a Dad that was waiting on the sidewalk for his own child. The guy didn't know what to do because he had no candy and this little cat was looking at him in anticipation. He said, "I don't have candy, I've got a quarter in my pocket."

Then home for the candy trade. Well, Jacob had it down. He would gather up some candy he didn't want walk over to Aaron's pile announce the trade, ignore Aaron's protest, toss the unwanted candy at him and take off with the goods. I had to assure Aaron that I would make it all right after bedtime. We filled a big plastic pumpkin full of the good stuff for Dad, because he was at work and we missed him.

This time I let them eat a ton of candy. I was trying to let go and not be the grumpy granola girl. Well come Saturday night Aaron had a headache and Jacob was coughing, so I told them it was the candy. I offered them $2.00 a pound. It was the best $15 I've ever spent. They gladly gave it up and I am back to a candy free home! (ok so it is all out in Joe's office, for those stressful moments that I wish I could have a drink, but substitute chocolate instead!)