Halloween

I have to admit that Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I don't consider myself a crafty person and the thought of coming up with and creating cute costumes for my children is not something I look forward to at the start of the month of October. When people ask what I'm going to be, I usually fall back on "just me" or "a WSU/BSU fan" while wearing some college apparel. 

This year was no different.

The kids' costumes came together nicely - even Mallorie's spider was a total success - and I think they enjoyed the few activities we chose to join. Friday night of Halloween weekend was the annual trunk-or-treat with our ward - the first one of its kind for this ward - and it was hosted by a family in the ward with this amazing back yard. Fully equipped patio, multiple small picnic tables for the littles, beautiful lawn, a play structure that would make Bear Creek Park jealous, and a concrete path that wound from the patio around the yard and back again. It was the perfect place to spend a cool evening. Now, since the ward is relatively new, I don't always recognize people. These people in costume were impossible to identify! 

As I pushed the stroller with Spencer and tried to corral my girls in the necessary direction, I recalled the vow I made last Halloween: I was not going to do this again by myself. For the second year in a row, my hubs has had to work late, leaving me the task of herding our three small children through dinner and trick or treating at the trunks of the vehicles lined up along the sidewalk. Everyone wants to go a different direction, it's dark in the yard and I can't really see Spencer, none of the kids ate more than three bites of anything, I'm cranky and wondering why I bothered as I don't truly have any friends there yet with whom I could mingle. My sweet visiting teacher came and sat with me with a smile and brought a ray of light into the evening. 

Morgan found a little friend and the two of them plus Mallorie sprinted ahead to collect their candy. Sweet Spencer got two pieces of candy, one in each fist, and refused to put them into the bucket so he could get some more. With a great deal of cajoling and help from others, he was convinced that by putting the candy in the bucket, he could get more out of the deal. 

The sugar kicked in by the time was were home and the bedtime routine was chaotic. I might have lost my cool at least once during the process, something that made me stop to think whether or not the whole ordeal was worth the effort. One apology offered and accepted, time to stew in the post-bedtime letdown, and a few pieces of candy later, I was calm again by the time Chadwick got back from work.

I think the effort was worthwhile.

Chadwick and the girls climbed the ladder to the loft of the un-finished barn for a little pumpkin carving. As usual, they were masterpieces.