Trick or Treat

So I spent a lot of time with my kids this weekend and was lucky enough to take some time out to just have fun with them and be in their element. Friday was Halloween and Alex was a zombie whipping Indiana Jones, and Avery was resplendent as a pirate girl. Both costumes were courtesy of the local Wal-Mart. This year I decided to have a little fun, too. I think that as parents it is so easy to become bogged down in the daily grind of family, work, kids etc... and I am as guilty of it as anyone else, but I also have a very silly/crazy streak that lies dormant most days. Really, I just enjoy making people laugh and don't often get the chance to really let that part of me show. So at the last minute on Friday I bought a long black cape and a bunch of face make-up and in about 15 minutes turned myself into a really creepy Dracula, complete with plastic fangs and fake blood. In essence I was completely unrecognizable to anyone that I passed on the street. Unfortunately, I scared the living shit out of my sweet daughter who was traumatized for a good two hours and requested that I not wear the teeth when I took them trick-or-treating.

And so Halloween for me this year ended up being the most fun I have had since my other favorite Halloween in 1996 when I dressed up as a Christmas tree complete with blinking lights. I went up to people that I knew (and didn't know) and flashed my cape and looked very Dracula-like and really just acted like a total freak just to make people laugh. Once again, I did scare some small children, but for the most part the reaction I got was hilarious. As my friend Kate (adorable as Padme from StarWars) told me "You are borderline creeping me out". I had a ball with my son and Kate's boys as they pretended to vampire hunt and chase me around the yard. My husband drew the line at burying me in the leaves in the front yard so that I could pop up on unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. It was wonderful to feel like a fun mommy.

For the past couple of years my policy has been that Halloween night is a candy free-for-all and the kids can dump out their candy and completely gorge themselves on however much they want to eat in one sitting. I have found that they never eat as much as you expect they would, they don't get cavities, nobody throws up, and they still go to bed at a reasonable hour. This year was no exception and I can't even express how much fun it is to not have to, for just one evening, say no. After the candy frenzy this year the kids got into their pajamas, brushed their teeth and we all snuggled on one big couch and watched the Addams Family. Both kids fell asleep between us and it was one of those moments that I wish I could put in a bottle to preserve the feeling of pure peace and sweetness. It was a great Halloween.