Because of the storm, we couldn't attend two of our five celebrations. One was postponed til next weekend; the other we missed (but Mommy Goose was very kind to bring us cupcakes and favors--thanks!!). But we still got to go to two parties and then trick or treat. As usual, Mama's office decorated for Halloween and had candy at every cubicle. The kids wandered from department to department trick or treating. Then we wolfed down fast food and headed to the school festival, which was held indoors this year. The kids enjoyed the games, the fortune teller (just like Divination at Hogwarts!!!), the trick or treating, and the bake sale. They made ghoulish popcorn hands with candy corn fingertips and spider rings. And they chatted with their friends. And then they crashed.
Saturday and Sunday were spent mostly at home just like on a regular snow day.
Monday dawned and they couldn't understand why they had to go to school on a holiday! They got off the bus at 4 pm and wanted to change into their costumes right away. But we had to do our homework (come on, teachers, really? Homework on Halloween? Frankly, that sucks. I put up with homework on the principle that you have to do what teachers ask, even though I know from statistics that it is almost a completely useless and ineffective tool for learning. I was tempted to ignore it, but that's not a good lesson either). And then we had dinner, something healthy before the candy inundation.
Yep, I don't have too many issues with this yearly candy overload, even with the unfair cocoa labor practices, excess wrapper garbage, HFCS and unhealthy fats, and pop-culture laden costumes (ooh, feeling guilty about this now). I figure the other 364 days outweigh the indulgences. And we're not raisin people, either. We give out candy (usually Dum-Dums, thereby avoiding the Hershey child-slave labor controversy) and we eat candy. As much as they want on Halloween and then a few pieces everyday for a week, at which point we donate the remainders.
So at 5:30 they were fully dressed as Harry Potter, both of them--cloaks, ties, glasses, wands, and lightning-bolt scar--and took pictures outside. But our group,headed by Neighbor Boy, wasn't ready to go out trick or treating. We hopped in the car and headed to see Mrs. S, who generously invited us in and oohed and aahed (her grandkids were there, looking cute and ready to go), and then to Mama Teacher, who similarly welcomed trick or treaters early. We got home just in time and headed out with our group. Gone was any sign of shyness or reticence of Halloweens past. Sis and Bud ran to each house and knew all their lines, carefully selecting their favorite, non-nut candies if given the chance to choose. Kit Kats, Tootsie Rolls, Hershey Bars, and any chewy fruit things were the coveted candies this year. Bud even got Swedish Fish! And they both got a few full-sized bars.
They were done around 8 pm (I split my time with them and at home passing out candy), pouring their loot on the living room floor to sort out the unwanted treats and swap (treats unwanted by either child will go to Occupy New Haven), eating several pieces as they went and saving some like Smarties and Dots for Christmas gingerbread houses. As 9 pm inched closer, Mama told them they could keep any candy they could keep in a box. Can you guess whose box is whose?
Bud dumped his candy in and couldn't get it all to fit. Sis sorted and organized hers, carefully layering the pieces so that there was space to spare (channeling Mama and Gong as she did it!). When Bud was in tears that all his candy didn't fit, Sis then helped him with his box, managing to fit it all. They left out two pieces for lunch today and headed, exhausted, to magical sweet dreams.
For those of you with the holiday still to come, have a wonderful and happy Halloween!
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