Happy Halloween

I have never been a big fan of Halloween. Even as a kid I never really got that excited about dressing up and having to go door to door for candy. I can remember being so shy that it pained me to go to a stranger's door and say, "Trick or Treat". I can remember one year when I was probably in 5th or 6th grade one of the old ladies that answered the door said, "Aren't you getting a little old to be trick or treating?" (I was tall for my age). On a side note, when I became a teacher I had high school students who would go trick or treating, which for the record I think is waaaaaaaay too old, however I wanted to go back to that old bag's house and say, "See, they are in high school and they trick or treat."

Anyway, I think because I am fairly apathetic about it, Halloween has never been something that our kids (granted this is the first one our son has participated in) blow out of proportion. This will be the first year my daughter is truly dressing up. She's going as Cinderella and is very excited about wearing her "gown and glass slippers". In the past she either was too little to necessitate dressing up and trolling for candy or she went in cute kid scrubs as my son will be going in this year (Sesame Street scrubs). I have played up my excitement for their sake, and really I am excited to see my kids dressed up and trick or treat, and my daughter is very excited to get candy, a rarity around here.

We will kick off our Halloween by attending a free concert by the BoDeans. I love their song, "Good Things" and am very stoked to see them perform live. Later we are going over to my sister and brother-in-laws for dinner before heading out with our kids and theirs to trick or treat in their neighborhood. Their neighborhood does Halloween big. It's like a ridiculously huge block party (last year I had never seen so many people taking their children trick or treating with beer in hand) and they don't hold out on candy. My niece and nephew each filled a pillow case last year.

Plus with our extended family coming along it is like an event unto itself. My husband, kids, and I go, along with my sister, her husband, and their four children, my parents follow along as well as my brother-in-laws folks. So, it has grown to be quite an ordeal. My daughter is just excited to trick or treat with her cousins.

So, tell me about your Halloween plans. Are you a fan of Halloween?