I think it all started a long time ago...... I grew up on a long country road with like two houses on it, so it wasn't exactly made for Trick or Treating. I'm pretty sure I was either a farmer or a clown EVERY year of my childhood, but my sister (who hates Halloween even more than I do) would NOT go trick or treating cause she said it was like begging for candy. And we NEVER had trick or treaters knock on our door (cause of the living in the country and all). So, it wasn't a very big thing to me in the beginning.....
THEN, during BOTH of my pregnancies with the boys, I was in that SICK phase during the month of October and literally got ILL every time I saw Halloween decorations or the combination of orange and black together. I even had to THROW AWAY much of the Halloween decorations we did have because they MADE ME SICK. (I can still see Joe's face when I suddenly declared one night, "I have to throw away these socks and that candy bowl over there! They are making me sick!!")
The only thing I DO like about Halloween is teaching a group of fourth graders the Halloween songs that I remember from when I was little..... but, Mary is not exactly a GROUP and she doesn't even talk, much less sing, so there goes that.
So Halloween: I. Don't. Like. You.
This week hasn't exactly put the HAPPY back in Happy Halloween either. Max has been nursing a very sore knee from a nasty fall at football, so he's been a bit of a grump all week. Jack is just outright MIFFED any time he has homework, so getting through the "packet" for To Kill a Mockingbird hasn't been a pleasure for any of us. I MIGHT have actually WRITTEN A LETTER to my people who live in this house and outlined for them the things they were doing that were irritating me and I MIGHT have put a giant duct taped "X" on the playroom door that says, "Closed for Renovations" and announced that it will STAY that way until things improve around here! AND Mary had FOUR shots at the doctor's office on Tuesday and came home with some stickers and a TERRIBLE head cold. (She actually knows how to blow her own nose...... if only she'd wait until there was a KLEENEX in place to catch what comes out. Very interesting few seconds the first time I witnessed THAT.)
Rough week, you see.
So, when Wednesday night rolled around and it was time for the Fall Festival at church, I was SO GLAD that everyone would be HAPPY. We have an AWESOME children's minister who has an AWESOME wife who do an UNBELIEVABLE job putting together a Fall Festival every year. There are games and prizes and rides and food and ponies..... it really is fantastic. I just KNEW Mary would love it!
WRONG.
Now, granted..... those shots had worked her over and her nose was dripping onto her Minnie Mouse costume, but she was not too happy with all the excitement.
Minnie Mouse costume? Get that thing off of me.
Minnie Mouse ear headband? No.
Orange bag to collect candy? I'm not carrying that thing.
Pony ride? Get. Me. Off.
Waving at other children dressed in fun costumes? I will NOT.
Seeing all the fun costumes and decorations? This is just madness.
Play a game for a prize? No thanks.
Let Mom take your picture? I ain't smiling.
She was so over-stimulated after the first hour that she found herself a nice quiet corner of the gym behind the GARBAGE CANS and played, quiet happily, for a while back there. Max, who had been working one of the booths for the youth group, was PUMPED to find us after so he could go through Mary's candy stash. He tore that bag open and found NOTHING. He was miffed. Dude, you do not get candy for playing behind the trash.
Bless it.
But, I woke up today with a new attitude. Today is Halloween, and there WOULD BE something fun happening around here today. Maybe some trick or treating? Maybe some pumpkin carving fun? Maybe bake some ghost-shaped cookies? Maybe watch a Halloween TV special? SOMETHING.
No.
Today began with a car service. A THREE HOUR car service. A three hour car service WITH A TWO YEAR OLD. A three hour car service with a two year old that is HUNGRY AND TIRED AND OUT OF DIAPERS IN HER BAG. Toyota place, I'm really sorry about that huge spill of apple juice in your coffee bar. I hope we didn't break anything when we knocked over that rental car display. And I might know where the HAND is that is missing off that mannequin guy in the merchandise area. (But hey. That guy is scary anyway. You should get that thing out of there.) After about two and a half hours, I warned the guy in charge of our car that we were out of diapers AND patience and things were about to get crazy up in there. At that particular moment, I turned around and Mary was walking around behind the big comfy couches in the waiting area "heavily tapping" the heads of the people who were NAPPING while they waited for THEIR cars. (Think Duck, Duck, Goose....) Scared one dude to death....(Happy Halloween to YOU, Mister... BOO!)
I was so BEYOND by the time we finally got home, that there were NO Halloween cookies made. When it started raining during carpool, I realized that there would be no trick or treating for my little nose-dripping darling and her brothers. And I'm pretty sure my copy of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is locked up in the elementary school where I'm not working this year.
THEREFORE, we, here in Powellville, are hunkered down tonight.
I told Joe to turn the porch lights OFF, but he refused, so he's passing out PEPPERMINTS at the front door (cause I MIGHT have forgotten to even purchase proper Halloween candy.) (They're going to egg our house later, aren't they?)
If a pumpkin gets carved around here, it'll be with a great big butcher knife, cause I couldn't find one of those nifty pumpkin carving kits at the Rite Aid. (No, we haven't carved our pumpkin yet.... but HEY. At least I BOUGHT a pumpkin.)
Good. Grief.
Pictures taken in the middle of all my angst:
Within the first 30 seconds, those fingers were in......
The ONLY picture of her entire outfit. And it's from the BACK.
Then there was THIS....
Max looks pretty fired up here, huh?
Didn't even get a picture of the Jackster. He had to run over to the sanctuary for orchestra rehearsal and, by the time he got back, I'd given up and put my camera away. It was THAT serious.
So.... just HALLOWEEN to all y'all. I'd include the HAPPY out in front, but then I'd just be a big liar.
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