Halloween: Trick or Treat?

It is Halloween and I must admit that next to Christmas, it is my favorite holiday. Now before you jump to conclusions, let me say, I am a Christian. It is not the ghosts or goblins that I enjoy, but it is the excitement of the children. I have always loved the look of anticipation when a child runs up to me in costume and says, "Do you know what I am?" For unknowing adults the best answer is, "Of course I do and you are so cute!" Hazarding a guess could lead to disappointment, but this answer always brings a satisfied smile.

I remember as a child thinking about my costume for weeks, planning and replanning. I even remember the first time my family could afford to buy me a costume from the store. I think in those olden days life was simpler and Halloween was a time when the neighbors visited each others home to get tasty treats and warm smiles.

But times have changed and Halloween is no longer about neighbors and smiles. This Halloween with my grandsons is the perfect example. We have had so many events leading up to the actual Halloween day. We have been to a Pumpkin Patch, we have been to the Red Ribbon Trunk or Treat, we have been to Fall Festival, we have dressed up at school, we have had a Halloween party at bowling, and now we finally get to go Trick or Treating....if we have the energy.

My daughter, Kimberly, is an amazing single Mom. She has taken us through all of these happenings with grace and poise and even a few smiles. Since each event was different in nature, we decided to devise a different costume for each. The Pumpkin Patch the main activity was playing on the church playground, so after a two minute stroll to pick out the perfect pumpkin, they were off to slide and climb. For this event, they were normal clothes.

For the Trunk or Treat, the dress was Bulldog red and the promise not to do drugs. This event was sponsored by the Borger High School National Honor Society and was a success.

For the Fall Festival, there were those wonderful jumping houses. You know the ones where shoes, helmets, masks, and any other costumes accessories as not allowed. So for that event the costume had to be mostly accessory free. So we dressed as soldiers, but with a costume consisting only of a light vest and a helmet. We put a little camouflage face paint on for effect and we were off. This was costume one.

Costume two was the school costume which had to be a book character. Now I know you are thinking, "Who will check?" and you are right...but I have a black and white rule follower. So the middle grandson insists that the costume must come from a book. Being the wise and patient Nana, I sent him to the bedroom to look through his books for a costume. He came back with his pop up book about Jesus. When I pointed out that we might need a wig and beard, he suggested his Captain Jack pirate hate that had attached dread locks. Now since I am pretty sure that Jesus did not have dread lock, we decided to be boy Jesus and needed not extra hair. He quickly found the Toy Story book for little brother,Tyler, who became Woody. Pretty easy thanks to the Cowboy costume he got for his birthday. Thanks, Aunt Pat. Austin, the oldest, chose Arthur since he can read that book. Easy costumes to construct on Thursday night. It was the 24 gluten free cupcakes deorated with ghosts and bats that took time.

For the bowling party, we finally wore the costumes bought at Target. Two Storm Troopers and one Blue Power Ranger showed up at Wildcatters. Oh yeah, with 24 more cupcakes, these decorated like Cats.

Finally, six o'clock on Halloween night arrived and off two Storm Troopers and one Blue Power Ranger were off Trick or Treating. There was a big blue moon that Tyler declared was following us as we drove to Aunt Ila's. When we arrived we were greeted with oohs and ahhs as well as hugs and even candy. Next was my nephew and niece, Todd and Darla. They had no candy but we got a ride on a really cool swing. On the road again to Aunt Pat's where we were greeted with more oohs, aahs, and hugs. This time it was creepy candy; fingers, brains, and eye balls. Perfect for three little boys.

Finally we went done the home street of Gardner. The neighbor had three special bags of homemade Carmel corn. Now the little boys were free running door to door, laughing and squealing with glee.With their bags dragging we were in the car and back to Nana's house. The bags of candy were empty creating three mounds as the little boys surveyed their haul.

All in all, it was one busy but fun filled Halloween, even if it lasted a whole week. To quote one happy Storm Trooper, "This is the best Halloween ever."

To Infinity and Beyond

Yes, I am quoting Buzz Lightyear.

For a Grandma this blog business is very much "beyond" what I could have imagined as possible. You see, I grew up with black and white television (no remote control), a rotary dial phone (we had to pay for long distance calls), 8 track tapes( that melted if left in the sun too long), and no microwave (we had to actually wait for the food to cook).

I went to school everyday and obeyed my teacher. I would have never thought about saying a disrespectful word to any adult. In my small town, everyone looked out for each other.

But now it is the 21st Century and I am trying to get with it! I have Facebook, e-mail, a cell phone, and now I am blogging. So forgive me if I feel like Buzz as I explore these new horizons. I just hope I find new friends with encouraging words.