Easy Street

I totally slid by in the costume department again this year since Finn chose to go as Darth Vader for the third year in a row and Shea still allows me to dress her in her brother's old costumes.

Surely, the center cannot hold. Next year I'm envisioning severe karmic payback, when both kids request extravagant, detailed costumes to make up for my recent waltzes down Easy Street. I expect lots of hand beading, face painting and the like.

Or I could always try to sell them on the classic simplicity of bedsheet ghosts.

Finn, naturally, loved Halloween. He shifted into second gear on his trick-or-treating strategy this year, realizing that the quicker he moved between houses the more candy he could accumulate. More than once we had to urgently grab the nape of his cape to redirect him to the safety of the sidewalk instead of into the possible peril of the street, so excited was he to advance to the next house and a fuller treat bag.

Focus, little fallen Jedi.

Shea was frightened by some of the scarier get-ups she saw the older kids wearing ("Halloween costumes are meanies!" she proclaimed -- her standard attack against anything she's not particularly fond of), and didn't really understand the whole trick or treating concept. Sure, she was happy to take candy from strangers but in between each house she would ask me, "Mommy, can we go to Halloween now?"

As if HALLOWEEN was a destination, an event, and all this candy grabbing was really cramping her party time and surely her party people must be expecting her by now?

Finally, there was the climactic candy throw, wherein each kid emptied their grab bags out on the dining room table and gushed with glee at their incredible takes. It's ALL MINE! I'm gonna eat this one right away! No, this one! No, wait -- this one! And this one tomorrow, and this one for snack, and this one on Friday, and...

Yup. That's it. This year, maybe for the first time since we became parents, Halloween was actually easy. It was fun. No tantrums, no fighting, no complaining about itchy costumes, no ripping headpieces off, no stopping to breastfeed or change diapers.

I'd better start practicing my beading skills toot sweet.