Confessions of a Halloween Drop-Out

This post was originally written in October 2014. Each year I bring it back.......because.....well it's kind of a classic and a fun trip down memory lane. Maybe it will help jog your childhood memories and remind you of Halloween's gone by.

October 31, 2014
So today is the big day.....the day all of you costume-wearing, candy-toting Halloween fans look forward to. The kiddies are wallowing their school day away daydreaming about the houses they'll visit tonight and the treats they'll collect. Mommies (and Daddies) are looking forward (or not) to trekking through the neighborhood, waiting patiently at the end of driveway after driveway as their little ones gingerly make their way to front doors, ringing bell after bell, shouting "Trick or Treat". Lucky for all of them, the weather today is picture perfect and maybe even warm enough to eliminate the need for coats or layers to interfere with the 'full effect' of their costume character. Oh.....it's a big day for Halloween lovers. As for me.....I'm not a big Halloween fan. I don't remember if I ever was, but of the hundreds of photos my mom took of me, I have only one taken on Halloween, suggesting that my lack of enthusiasm over this holiday is hereditary.

This was either 1965 or 1966 - I'm sure you can tell I was a gypsy, right? Clearly I inherited my Halloween creativity from my mom. Sorry mom, but it's true!

When it was time for my kids to take part in Halloween festivities, I remember dreading everything about it. Probably my biggest obstacle came from having a daughter with insulin-dependent diabetes. Collecting buckets of candy wasn't exactly considered a 'best practice' for your average kid with diabetes. Fortunately our kid was always easy going and was satisfied with trick-or-treating at ten houses or so and trading a small portion of her 'stash' for some toy she was coveting. Whew, that was easy. Not so easy was the task of creating costumes. While I've always been crafty, my talent was limited to recreating other people's visions. Creating a costume was daunting and frustrating - made even more daunting by the fact that each Halloween, all the kids in our elementary school would parade around the school grounds to show off their handmade costumes........and to make us less creative parents feel inadequate. Fortunately I don't think my girls ever really noticed how unsophisticated or amateur their costumes were compared to some of the kids whose parents clearly excelled in "Halloween". There was ONE Halloween when I must have been feeling particularly in-the-spirit because even I dressed up. I even have a photo to prove it....

It seems by Laura's expression she might not be too excited about her mom and dad embarrassing her at the school parade earlier that day.

Fido - back in his "beard" days!

You'll notice that John really enjoyed getting into in the festivities and attracted quite a bit of attention.
That was my last big Halloween Hoorah! Though today I do not enjoy the idea of running to the door over and over again to greet the greedy little goblins, I do enjoy seeing the 'little' ones in their costumes - homemade or store-bought because I can appreciate the work that went into creating these little characters and totally respect those parents who don't succumb to the pressure of making a costume. High fives to all you moms and dads who work so hard to make Halloween enjoyable for your kiddos and for traipsing through the neighborhood so your kids can share their goodies with you ;) Forgive me if I might secretly be praying for snow or rain or just a tiny hurricane to come along.
In the spirit of this day - the day so many of you get excited about - here's a trip down memory lane of my girls and days-gone-by. Katie & Laura .....I publicly apologize for a) these lame costumes and b) humiliating you then and today. LOL......not really. You were adorable!

Katie and her buddy, Mackenzie

Katie on the left with our friend Deborah and her daughter Mackenzie

(Costumes sewn by yours truly, like you couldn't tell).

By now, we were getting better......just when it was about to end!

And boy, was I happy when those days ended. I admire (and maybe envy) those people who love Halloween and are able to whip up the genius costumes you see without a trip to the Halloween warehouses. Those are the people who relish the holiday and start planning for it months in advance. That's not me, not one bit. I will be enjoying the little ones who come to the door all enthusiastic and proud of their costumes - no matter how lame or professional they are. But once 7:30 pm rolls around, the shades will be pulled, the lights will be off and I'll be under the cover of darkness watching tv in my bedroom hoping no one rings the bell despite my best efforts to discourage ghosts and goblins. Yea, call me a Halloween Scrooge. It's true. This year I'll just wait for my little goblins because no matter how much of my Halloween talent my daughter inherited, I know these little tricksters will be adorable!