It's All Treats

We didn't get a lot of kids knocking on our door this Halloween. I hear them outside, but they're not knocking on the door. It's because we didn't bother with a pumpkin this year.

But of the ones who came, those toddlers in their little tiger, panda and mouse costumes were so cute. They can barely walk, but they beamed with big smiles, and they knew if they shout "Trick or Treat" at me, I'd give them chocolates. When The Boy received his first piece of candy at age two, he stood on the porch of someone's house in his little furry leopard costume with one floppy cat ear, peered into his bag, and shouted with glee and bewilderment, "Mom, I got one!" as if he'd unknowingly bagged a moose.

Halloween costumes haven't changed much over the years. Kids below waist high usually wear animal, princess, butterfly or fairy costumes. Their parents mean for them to be adorable. I know. In addition to the leopard suit, I also made a dragon costume for The Boy when he was four. These little ones are closely supervised, with adults watching from the curb. Sometimes parents come with the smaller ones to the door. Some of the parents wear costumes. I try to give parents candies too. They usually take them.

Kids about shoulder height get into superhero and Village People costumes. I know. The Boy went as Austin Powers at that age. They look at what I give them and provide commentary to other trick-or-treaters as they leave by shouting things like, "Cool, sour keys at that house," or "More chocolates." Some of them want to choose their own candies from my tray.

Older kids and teens get into the scarier stuff of Halloween. They smear red, white, and black paint on to mimic blood and bodily decay. The Boy went as a headless ghoul at that age. These older ones often don't say much. Some hide behind their masks and grunt, and I wonder if they really are teens or adults looking for candies. But I thank them for coming any way.

But it is at Halloween each year that I find out what's being peddled out there in popular culture. Tonight, I saw several girls wear shiny red skirted outfits with "EHS" on their chests. I asked one what that meant. She said she's a cheerleader from High School Musical. Of course. Zac and Vanessa what's their names.

This year, a pair of tall clowns in red polka dotted suits, frizzy wigs, red nose, and clown shoes came to the door. They were fabulous. A little thigh-high Pooh bear struggled to hold the screen open when I opened the front door. I said, "Whoa, is that you, Pooh?" He shouted back, "Yeah," in a most matter of fact way. His sister, a Mini Mouse, stood there and blinked at me with big eyes. So very cute. Some braver kids knocked on the door, then hid. When I open the door, they jumped out in front of me. That was a neat trick, but it's all a treat for me.