Halloween with Toddlers

 “So the first time you hear the concept of Halloween, when you're a kid, remember the first time you even heard about it, it's like... your brain can't even... "what is this ?! Who's giving out candy, someone's giving out candy?! Who is giving out this candy?! Everyone that we know is just giving out candy?!!! I gotta be a part of this, take me with you, I wanna do it, I'll do anything that they want...! I can wear that.” –Jerry Seinfeld

This year, leading up to the big day, my boys (at least Luke, who will be three years old one week from today) seemed to be getting the concept.  We dress up.  We go knock on doors.  And strangers-yes, the same strangers we are not supposed to talk to-are gonna give us candy.  And, of course, we say thank you.  Pretty straightforward.  Very exciting!

We were invited to the home of my son’s best girlfriend on the ever-enchanting Daniel Island.  The two preschoolers seem to be the boy-girl version of BFFs these days, so we wouldn’t have passed on the invite to hang out with her and her older sis on this most bewitching night of the year.  They all play nice, even with little Zealand in tow.  I’d be remised if I didn’t mention that my friend Allie, the girls’ mommy, offered to make dinner and I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t pass that up.

For days the weather channel predicted rain (gasp!) for Monday evening.  My husband pointed out a day or two ago that it doesn’t rain on Daniel Island…a.k.a. Pleasantville.  Sure enough, 6:30 p.m. rolled around and the few clouds parted to sunny skies-not a damp street or sidewalk to be found.  Following an amazing meal by Allie…feta salad, gourmet turkey burgers complete with avocado and red tomato slices, and potatoes that were the essence of delectability, we set out for our trick or treating adventure. 

Including a friend of Allie’s daughter, the Queen of Halloween (she created the name and designed her stylish costume), we set out for our candy hunt with a doctor, witch, princess and Anaken Skywalker from Star Wars. 

This outing was a dream come true for me.  Picture perfect.  Watching my sons in costume run up ahead of my husband and I, shrieking with excitement as they grabbed the hands of their little friends, made my entire year! In this pristine tree-lined neighborhood, I smiled from ear to ear as I balanced the camera while making sure they weren’t running off into the streets.  At door #1, they already had it down.  Luke, my extravert, had no qualms about marching up the steps to the front door, knocking and facing the creature/mommy/retiree behind each door.  “Trick or treat?” He watched wide-eyed as candy dropped one by one into his bucket.  “Thank you!”  Of course, my boy made me proud!  And it didn’t take Zealand long to figure out the game. 

Butterflies, zombies, Super Mario and even a jellyfish swarmed past us.  As it got darker, the big kids were coming out and costumes, scarier.  My husband and I were now taking turns carrying our 22-month-old up the stairs.  Until…we got to the house all of the kids in the whole neighborhood had been buzzing about…the spooky house.  It was beautiful.  Lit up in orange, cobwebs, massive spiders, giant snakes, and a skeleton who spoke in a spooky tongue inciting a laugh just from his lunatic laugh.  I held my boys’ hands as we made our way down their long path of doom.  Wouldn’t you know it?  A nice young lady, sweet as pie, handing out more candy.  Spooky isn’t so bad, after all!  We hit a few more houses on the trek back to Allie’s.  This being our third Halloween since Luke was born, and so perfect.  I am looking forward to many more!  And now that they’re in bed, I’m going to find all the blue tootsie rolls from their stash!! 

When Leah Speer isn't detaching her toddlers from her capris, she's blogging at mommiesneedsleeptoo.com.