I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Halloween... not sure why but I do. It could be that my mom really dislikes it (almost to the point of hatred). I was about 10 when trick or treating was banned from our house, instead my mom would buy us one big bag of candy - of our choice - and we would watch a movie (turn off all the lights and not answer the door... yes... we were THAT house). It was not my favorite way to spend Halloween as a child, but what are you gonna do? But I find myself not really liking Halloween but for completely different reasons.
1. Graham really wants to go trick or treating BUT hates dressing up. It is a FIGHT every year!! We tell him if he wants candy, he has to dress up... So he does. But there are tears ever year. I am close to calling it quits! I think he is embarrassed dressing up, like he thinks he looks foolish or something (he is too young to be feeling that way!! That comes later in life haha). Once he sees other kids dressed up, he is good to go - but getting to that point... I almost lose it!
2. Graham and I love sweets and have NO self control. It is a fight to keep his hands out of the candy jar so I hide it. The only problem is that I know where it is "hidden", so I end up eating it! Ahh! Just say no! Just say no!!
3. It is expensive! The costumes, ridiculous. The candy, OUTRAGEOUS!
But we still do it. I think I go through phases of this love/hate thing I have for Halloween... this year is hate, next year will probably be love (I already have costume ideas... weird, right?). When Graham was two, it was a "love" year... I made him a cute (and simple!!) Die - the singular of dice - costume. When he was three: Hate - he wore the die costume from the year before. Age 4: Love... we grew his hair out and he was Wolverine (Hugh Jackman from the movie not the cartoon blue and yellow one). This year at age 5... Hate! He was Wolverine again - except I procrastinated figuring out what he was going to be (because of the hate thing) and his hair was too short, so he got a wig - which was mediocre, he was much cuter when it was his own hair last year... but do I really care? Not so much :) Same claws, jacket, and dog tags... new white shirt and pants. pretty easy.
Also being on Sunday this year, I was less into it. We kept going back and forth trying to decide if we let him go trick or treating. We decided not to, and I am really glad. I mean at church we had a 3-ward trunk or treat and he got plenty of candy there (plus we bought some for kids that came to our house -and have a TON left over). We told him that Sunday was a special day and we weren't going to go trick or treating BUT he could hand out the candy to the kids that came to our house. He made sure that we wouldn't be giving out HIS candy and then was totally keen on the idea. Every time our doorbell would ring tonight (which was only like 10 times) he was so excited! He would run to the door (still in his church clothes mind you) and hand out candy to the kids dressed up. I am really glad we made the decision we did (especially because I didn't have to do the "I don't want to wear my costume" meltdown again), and that Graham was still able to enjoy Halloween by handing out candy. (I don't want to be a complete hag and not hand out candy to the kids in the neighborhood)
So Happy Halloween...
Below are pics from yesterday... you can see his sheer joy and excitement to be dressed up (he almost went as a die again! lol) Wig is an adult one... so it looks kinda ridiculous, but oh well :) That means Tommy could be Wolverine too :)
