Halloween

This year we experienced Halloween from two different perspectives! The big kids (at 7 & 9) have gotten to the place where it's just really all about the candy.  They cared less about what costumes they wore.  They wanted bigger bags that held more candy, and they wanted to run from house to house.  I remembered these days, so I tried not to get frustrated, and I accommodated them if I could.

On the other hand, Mary is just starting out in this whole Halloween process.  She loves candy, and this year she seemed to understand that this night was about getting it. She also loves people, so the socializing was also great fun! G & R taught her how to say, "trick or treat" and spent the day quizzing her: "Mary, what do you say if you want candy?" or "We ring the bell and then what do we say?" Mary: "Twick o tweet!" (with enthusiasm).

Mary seemed up to the challenge, but just before we left we decided to do a trial run.  She and I went outside and knocked on the door.  The kids opened it, and I said, "Mary, what do you say?" Mary looked at me and looked at them, and then very excitedly said, "Gimme some candy!"

Well, she ended up doing fine.  She said "Twick o tweet" at almost every house, and sometimes she got "pease" and "tank coo" mixed up, but for the most part she was a very polite ladybug.  The big kids were a little frustrated with her, though, because she took the whole thing at her own pace.  She LOVED the pumpkins, and wanted to touch and talk about just about each one that she saw. "Oo, that's a big punkin!" "Look at that punkin!" At several houses, when the bowl  of candy was extended to her to pick a piece, she said things like, "Umm.  I don't know.  What's this called?" (showing a piece to the kind person holding the bowl).  And at one house, when a man with a very scary mask was passing out the candy, rather than be scared, she went right up to him and said, "Hi! What's you name?"

It was a fun night, and the kids ended up with plenty of good candy! Mary had us laughing all evening, and even though she doesn't really know it, she's also turning out to be a very, very good candy-sharer!! ;)