Halloween

This year Halloween wasn't marked by any natural disaster, just a little drizzle on an otherwise balmy October evening. It felt a bit rushed to get out the door only a half hour after Elisa made it off the school bus, but we managed it. And we actually made it down 2 whole streets this time which is way more than we've done in past years. Even so, Elisa said she was done half way through, but I kept my enthusiasm going and dragged her down one last block to ensure that she'd not ask to go trick or treating again before next Halloween. As a kid, I remember that bittersweet moment each holiday when I'd realize that it would be a full 365 days before I could do this again.  It was then that I realized the anticipation was often more enjoyable than the holiday itself.  It's a life lesson we all learn some day and it never really changes.  

Now as a mom, I see how much fun the kids have planning their costumes and talking about the holiday weeks in advance. When it came time to get dressed today, I was surprised to hear Elisa say she didn't want to be Monster High's Draculaura again, but rather Rapunzel. In past years, I might have fought this and insisted, but this year, I wasn't up for a battle. I relented and helped her get last year's costume on. "Next year I'll be Draculaura, okay, mom?"  Hmmm...maybe. Carolina also went as Rapunzel instead of the insanely adorable Sulley costume I bought her. And again, I didn't really care. It was more important that they were dressed and ready to walk out the door at 5 p.m. than that they fulfilled my Halloween vision. And that's kind of how the night went. They skipped and ran ahead of us, found their confidence approaching houses and after it was all said and done, they were tired of the candy grab and had more fun dancing and playing at friends' houses. We made it through the night without any major meltdowns and that's saying something considering how much candy they ate as they hobbled around with pumpkin pails dragging. Yes, this year everything went well, except sticking to the costumes. But then that's my problem really, isn't it?