I Still Hate Halloween

I probably have told you the stories about Halloween when I was a child. Because we lived out in the country, we did not have a neighborhood in which to trick or treat. We would get in our costumes and go to the neighbors across the road and to our great aunt and uncle down the road. And that was it. So Halloween was pretty much a bust.

But I also hate Halloween because it is supposed to be a scary thing. And I don't like scary things. I don't like witches or ghosts or things that jump out or go bump in the night. I hate that there are bad people out there who think it's fun to do bad things on Halloween like throw eggs or break into houses or whatever bad Halloween prank they can think of.

I hate Halloween because of the costumes. Some of the ones that are in stores are cheaply made but cost big bucks. Of course you can't wash them in the washing machine, so your child has to wear them until they disintegrate, which then causes major Dr. Phil trauma.

I hate Halloween because if it's not scary, then it's about the candy. Invariably, if I buy the cheap candy, nobody comes to my door and I'm stuck with the cheap candy. If I buy the good candy, then I will still have some leftover, but I will eat it all. And when I had little kids at home, I hated that they had candy and wanted it eat it and I had to regulate it. Usually by eating all the good candy so all they would have left if the bad candy, which they didn't like and therefore could be thrown away.

There was a period of time that I did not have to consider Halloween. My own children were grown and did their own Halloween thing. I could leave my house or turn out the lights and not have to deal with any of it. It was great.

And then these two came along. And Halloween came back. Along with costumes, although now I know where to get them (good price, sturdy, machine washable). Along with candy, although now I know how to handle it (send it home with their parents or to work the next day with Molly). Along with the scariness, although now I have two little allies who don't like scary either (unless you're talking Jake and the Neverland Pirates kind of scary).  So maybe Halloween isn't so bad after all ...

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Today is a gift because: picking up Maribeth, Mathieu, and Everley at the airport with Molly; Everley and Lindley time; trick or treatersj