Halloween Installment 2: Trick or Treating

We started the Halloween festivities with a little pumpkin carving in the afternoon.  Followed by a Jack-o-lantern shape pizza from Papa Murphey's for dinner.  Then it was time to don costumes and go!

Rehm's costume got rave reviews.  There were several houses where he had to wait because the person answering the door called someone else in the house to come see him.  It was funny though that several of the "Grandparent Generation" didn't know what he was.  I heard "Oh, your a remote control...," "Oh, your a TV," and my favorite, "So, are you in Jail?"

Rehm's comments that were my favorite were, "Hey, wait for the iPod!" "Expensive merchandise coming through!"


Rehm's costume is now in the trash.  It made it through trick or treating but was partially torn at the bottom of the screen on both sides when he got home.  The cats proceeded to knock it off the table and finish it off.  It was a fun costume to create.  Not expensive but a fun and challenging creative process.  Of course even if it could have been saved it would have been obsolete by next Halloween as it no longer even looks like the current generation of iPod Nanos. 

Charlotte's costume was probably my favorite this year. Why? Well because it appeals to my sense of practicality.  She already had the shirt and jeans.  While I had to buy the boots, vest, hat and rope, they will all get lots of use.  The boots and vest will be part of her normal winter wardrobe and Rehm has a play in Theater Arts that he needs to dress in Western wear for.  So I'm set.  I love a costume that can be reused and not just packed away for another Halloween. 

Ruby and Eliza Claire are so neglected.  They were really not given any choice in what their costumes would be.  I refused to buy them costumes since we had costumes in their size already in the house.  Their choices consisted of the costumes they wore or anything they could find in the dress up box.  Next year they will have the same choices as the costumes should still fit them.  Eventually, they might get some say, you know, when they are grown and paying for their own.
Ruby was the first child to call it quits.  She and I came home as soon as Michael rejoined us after making sure the house was still standing - we left pumpkin seed roasting and Michael set a timer and then didn't hear it when it went off in his pocket.  Oops! Luckily all was well and the pumpkin seeds were still edible. Rehm was the next child to head home.  Charlotte and Eliza Claire made it until Michael called trick or treating over. 

When we got home from trick or treating the kids all dumped out their baskets on the floor.  I immediately started sorting their candy into two large piles.  One for chocolate and one for everything else.  Rehm immediately commented on the sorting and knew why I was doing it.  It bugs me when the candy is stored together and the chocolate takes on some of the fruity flavor - yuck! Ruins it for me.  And you know the Halloween candy is all about me. 

Our kids don't get to keep their own stash of candy.  Everything immediately goes in to the community pot.  Apparently I'm a Halloween candy socialist.  Once it is sorted into chocolate and non-chocolate the kids have a few days to enjoy the spoils.  Then I start sending it to work with Michael and donating it various places to get it out of the house.  At the end a week whatever remains in the house goes in the trash.  I refuse to have candy sitting around until Christmas.  I am such a mean mom!  I believe last year the kids kept begging for candy at non-candy times and complaining about how many pieces they got and I got fed up and threw it all away well before the week was out.  Surprisingly, on the whole there are no complaints about the community candy or how long it stays in the house.  I guess they know better :)

All in all it was a great Halloween.
Jenn