One Mother, Three Kids, Too Much Candy!
Halloween is a magical time of year. Kids transform into superheroes, monsters, and other fascinating creatures.
Moms cultivate the ability to survive chaos – or so it seemed when I took our three little ones out trick or treating in yesteryear! I sensed trouble when we began to don costumes.
Trying to clothe a pirate, a witch and a dinosaur was like straining to catch a trio of squirrels. ”Stand still! No costume, no candy!”
By the time we made it to the first house I was ready for a glass of wine! When we eventually reached the end of the block, I was lugging two pillowcases of candy and carrying the witch, who had decided that witches were meant to fly, not walk!
I’d apologized to several people for the T-Rex’s tail knocking over their Halloween decorations. And we still had the whole neighborhood to go!
The children shouted, “Trick or Treat!” in unison at every door. My head began to throb, and I was positive I was going deaf in my left ear. No, not from the shouting, but the pirate who poked me in the head with his sturdy, toy sword.
I wondered if the kids would notice if we skipped the rest of the houses and headed home instead of crossing over to the next street. Probably not, but they’d definitely realize they had less of a candy haul this year. We kept going!
Finally made it home intact, and the kids dumped their loot (in three distinct piles) on the living room floor. I went through it to make sure it was ‘safe for consumption’, then collapsed on the couch, vowing that next year their father would take them trick-or-treating. I’d stay home to give out our candy instead.
I cautioned the kids not to pig out on their treats or they’d be sick. (Plus, I’d be dealing with three giant sugar rushes!) But as I watched them munch and talk about the evening they had just shared, I realized Halloween isn’t just about candy and dress up.
It’s about memories! Oh yeah, and survival! Halloween is a magical time of year. Kids transform into superheroes, monsters, and other fascinating creatures.
Moms cultivate the ability to survive chaos – or so it seemed when I took our three little ones out trick or treating in yesteryear! I sensed trouble when we began to don costumes.
Trying to clothe a pirate, a witch and a dinosaur was like straining to catch a trio of squirrels. ”Stand still! No costume, no candy!”
By the time we made it to the first house I was ready for a glass of wine! When we eventually reached the end of the block, I was lugging two pillowcases of candy and carrying the witch, who had decided that witches were meant to fly, not walk!
I’d apologized to several people for the T-Rex’s tail knocking over their Halloween decorations. And we still had the whole neighborhood to go!
The children shouted, “Trick or Treat!” in unison at every door. My head began to throb, and I was positive I was going deaf in my left ear. No, not from the shouting, but the pirate who poked me in the head with his sturdy, toy sword.
I wondered if the kids would notice if we skipped the rest of the houses and headed home instead of crossing over to the next street. Probably not, but they’d definitely realize they had less of a candy haul this year. We kept going!
Finally made it home intact, and the kids dumped their loot (in three distinct piles) on the living room floor. I went through it to make sure it was ‘safe for consumption’, then collapsed on the couch, vowing that next year their father would take them trick-or-treating. I’d stay home to give out our candy instead.
I cautioned the kids not to pig out on their treats or they’d be sick. (Plus, I’d be dealing with three giant sugar rushes!) But as I watched them munch and talk about the evening they had just shared, I realized Halloween isn’t just about candy and dress up.
