Trick or Treat, smell my feet...

It is that time of year again.  The time of year where the candy corn is on every isle in the grocery store and the fun size snickers just happen to magically appear in my shopping cart.  Of course, it is the only time that I have a valid excuse to buy such things because we HAVE to get plenty of candy for our two trick or treaters, right?

I know that I should get into the ghouls and goblins mood, but as a parent, I dread Halloween.  The idea of a constant sugar high for three days with a 1 and 2 year old just isn't fun.  Buying overpriced costumes and then having to take them off and on my kids every time that I get them in and out of the car to trick or treat because they don't fit in their car seats with them on is entirely too much work! 

As a kid I had great memories of Halloween.  I can remember going to the store to look at costumes.  Some years I would get one from the store, but most years we didn't.  To be honest, the years we wore the homemade costumes were the best.  One year I was a "hobo" wearing dad's old flannel shirt, another year I was a referee, wearing dad's referee shirt.  Funny thing, a lot of my costumes came out of dad's closet!!!  My fondest costume was when I was in the first grade.  My Granny had some old curtains in her house that were a shear white fabric .  My cousins and I would stand in the window where they hung down to the floor, and we would wrap up in them playing a bride.  We would drape it around our head like a veil and then sing "Here comes the Bride" for hours.  My Granny and Mom had a great idea to make me a "bride" costume out of the old curtains.  I was so excited!  I could remember watching the progress on my dress everyday and the excitement that I had about wearing it to school and showing it to all of my friends.  The day finally came, I put on my costume that I loved so much and got on the school bus.  I was so proud!  I didn't win the best costume award that year, but to me, It was the greatest ever! 

Some years we would make a dummy and sit him on our front porch.  Stuffing my dad's coveralls with leaves and putting "hunky dory" aka our name for the famous funny mask that we had for years, on top of the coveralls.  Once my mom even put the mask on while she was in bed with the covers over her face.  My dad came home from working a double shift and pulled back the covers,  nearly peeing himself when he saw my mom!  We laughed for days!!!

Popcorn balls homemade by Grandma Pat, crisp fall evenings, the smell of bonfires...that was Halloween to me. In the spirit of the season, I have decided that I will participate in making Halloween fun for my kids, even if I don't care for it as an adult like I did as a kid.   Although we have store bought costumes and there is no "hunky dory" on my front porch,  we will make family memories of our own.  Who knows, maybe I will find an old curtain and make my own costume...