Trick-or-Treat!

Halloween.  My kids count down to it without almost as much anticipation as Christmas or their birthdays.  Ok, not quite that much, but certainly more than any other event on the calendar.  Candy and costumes.  Their happy place.

Of course it also helps that we've been invited to participate in the festivities with friends the past couple years.  All of this is more fun when there's a party involved!  Pizza and play before loading up the hayride (pulled by a hunting ranger)?  Yes please.

And there was quite the group this year, so many kids!  Counting from memory, there were at least 14 ranging in age from 13 months to 9 years, plus all their parents.  It was a full ride!

I so wish that everyone could have seen it, the begininng to Annabelle's trick-or-treating adventure.  The ranger rounded the corner and unloaded the kids at the first cul-de-sac.  The big kids started off, wise enough to run right past the dark doors.  Well, there were several dark doors in a row on that first stop so the boys just kept on running.  And then there was Goosie, full of excitement and enthusiasm, without the thought ever occurring to her that she might not keep up.  I watched (from the center) her run the perimeter of the cul-de-sac, empty bucket swinging in her hand in an all out sprint, calling out to the others, "Let's go guys!  I'm coming!  Not that house!"  Running, running, panting, running...until they found a bright front door.  I managed to convince her to slow down, that there was plenty of time and candy and no one would leave us behind, and through heavy breaths she agreed to walk up to the front door and pant out a breathy, yet enthusiastic, "trick or treat!"

Both kids found their groove.  Annabelle began to trust that the ranger wouldn't move on until all kids had caught up, and Sam and his crew worked as a strong "advance team" to scout the 'available houses.'

Her opening sprint was not, however, without consequence.  The run in sock-less dress shoes gave Annabelle a couple of yucky blisters on her heels.  She insisted on taking her shoes off and declared that she was done, very shortly after the fun began.  I convinced her to keep going if I carried her, knowing that she would be disappointed if she missed the fun.  Well, I only lasted about 3 houses before I was done carrying her.  Finally she agreed to trick-or-treat barefoot as long as I was on look out to make sure that cars wouldn't drive over her feet.  (because shoes wouldn't protect her from that?  because she isn't outside barefoot constantly?  the child hates shoes!)  And so, 2015 will go on record as the year that Annabelle trick-or-treated barefoot.

Both of my kids outlasted every single other child in the bunch.  Why?  because candy is their love language, their passion, their vice.  They can walk away from cake and baked goods, ice cream is a no go.  But candy?  They collect it, analyze it, love it.  Any while most Halloween candy will go uneaten, I guarantee you that 95% of theirs will be consumed - by them.

We tried to take advantage of it being daylight savings time, but dragging two exhausted children home an hour past their bedtime did not result in anything resembling "sleeping in."  Sigh...someday.