So, yesterday was the real thing and energy was high the whole time. As I mentioned, we went trick or treating at my exercise class and then went out for lunch. After rest time at home, the holiday really began for us. We decorated. We hung our cute windsock-like ghosty off the flag post. We got the candy ready--300 lollipops--in its big metal bucket. And then we painted all the front windows. It's easy: take washable kids' paints (I use Crayola), add dishwashing liquid (I think the ratio I use is approximately a few tablespoons of soap to about a 1/4 cup paint), mix, and paint. It takes awhile to dry (even thinly applied, it can take hours to really dry) so don't plan on doing any overlays or detail work. Later, it washes away with a wet sponge (wipes don't work; they just seem to create even more bubbles). We, or I should say, I painted a cat on a pumpkin surrounded by the moon; Sis told me to add extra baby pumpkins. Then a big, happy jack o'lantern. Then ghosts, also Sis's idea. Then two spiders and a web, which was Bud's idea.
After painting, we made pizza but barely ate. It was just too exciting. Mama came home and, despite the early hour, we dressed in our costumes. Sis in her vet coat with stethoscope. But in his complete baseball attire. I even donned an apron with whisk, spatula, hot pad, and cookbook: yes, I was a baker. Bud later told me that my costume was perfect. We took some family photos, Mama got the wagon, and off we went in the twilight. We'd practiced saying "trick or treat" and "thank you" and were ready for our first house, always our first house, our neighbor across the side street. They oohed and aahed over the kids, who were ready to go to the next house for candy. Yep, this year, they understand. More than once last night, Bud would pull on my arm and say, "Come on, Mom." This wasn't time for socializing; this was work. Sis was more casual in her approach and would stand and smile, waiting to be offered candy . . . waiting to be offered more candy. Carefully choosing what she wanted both times; of the two of them, she really liked picking her own. Chocolate. Anything in a brown wrapper. But if not chocolate--and again, she seemed to know which ones had nuts and were off limits--then something fruity.
And my these kids had it good. All we had in name brand candy as kids were Hershey miniatures and Tootsie Pops. Only much later did Reese's peanut butter cups and all the single serving candies become available. We had those funky taffy candies in orange and black papers, the requisite raisins and coins, and lots of miniatures. The kids didn't get a single miniature. Instead there were M&Ms, Skittles, Mike and Ikes, Dots, Starbursts, Milk Duds, Tootsie Rolls, Candy Corn, Nerds, Twizzlers, Kit Kats, Smarties (those are the pastel candies in rolls I couldn't remember), plus all the bars--Musketeers, Milky Ways, Mounds. Real candy. Though, I kinda missed Special Darks and Mr Goodbars.
We met up with all the neighborhood kids later, but they were older, bigger, louder, masked, and also outnumbered us, which was overwhelming. After a few houses, we intentionally fell behind and went the rest of the way mostly on our own. I'd say we hit about 10+ houses when it was finally dark enough to be scary and Bud really wanted to go home and eat his stash. So off we went to the front porch, where cookie sheets waited for each child to unload his and her bag. Let the fun begin! We picked out a few off-limits candies and then just let them at it. Sis made a Willy Wonka-inspired mountain of candy by opening all the packets and pouring them together--all the wonderful colors, sizes, textures. She even made a little bridge with the Kit Kats, which was all fine with us because she wasn't actually eating anything. Bud soon followed suit, but managed to nibble more of his stash. Both were intrigued and excited to eat their first candy corns, having seen the iconic candy in many decorations. I don't think they liked them but they liked having them, in a big long tube with a novelty top from a neighbor down the street.
As we ate (we, well, because I snagged some M&Ms from a neighbor; Mama had a few Kit Kats), trick-or-treaters arrived at our house. Sis and Bud would scramble to their feet and race to the door. Each wanted to put a handful of Dum Dums in each visitor's bag, so we gave away a lot of lollipops. But they had so much fun being on the giving end, even as the trick-or-treaters got bigger, older, and scarier as little kids gave way to teenagers. I confess to have contributed to the obsession because I like to hand out candy too and would look out the windows for more visitors; the kids would hop up and look too, disappointed if no one materialized. Finally, as it slowed down, Mama and I both pretended to trick or treat and the kids had just as much fun giving us candy as anyone else!
But soon, we poured the opened and unopened piles into different baggies and called it a night, a late night, really one of the only nights in a year that they are even awake after dark much less outside. No wonder they think every night is Halloween.
Today, the day after, was much quieter, with a morning at home spent hiking around the neighborhood (about which I'll post separately). This evening was a party at our church, so they donned costumes again and headed to the potluck meal with games and crafts and friends. I was late, because tonight was the goodbye party for my friend who will be moving at the end of the month (more on the party later), but showed up in time to help with the last crafts and games. Sis and Bud relished wrapping Mama in toilet paper as a mummy, even though they had no clue what a mummy is. And then this became chaos as everyone threw tp around like confetti, through rolls across the hall, and revelled in general mayhem. But, then, really, candy and mayhem--isn't that what Halloween is mostly about?
Not completely, though, which is why last night Mama and I lit candles on our altar in front of pictures and mementoes of our loved ones both with us and also gone.
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