Oh hey, November, I am so ready for you. I feel like this has been a long Halloween season.
Courtesy of Sarah Shrader
Oh hey, November, I am so ready for you. I feel like this has been a long Halloween season – which is weird, because Halloween doesn’t change year over year – I mean, it is always the last day of October. But we usually trick-or-treat like a week before – not on Halloween. So, I am not sure if that is why it seemed so long.
Or maybe it is because Lyndsay (with a mid-September birthday) wanted a birthday party with all the spooky stuff, so we have been decorated and prepared for the season for longer than normal. I mean, we went all out – my dad came over with his creative holiday mind and decked out the garage in all things scary, and Lee even put together a “dead body” on my kitchen table as a platter for the chicken wings we were serving. There are even fake blood stains still on my table – so that’s a fun memory to look at every dinner.
On the opening weekend of all things scary, we hit a haunted cornfield – but that seems like months ago now. And I feel like the Halloween store was barely open when we budgeted to let the 5 youngest kiddos pick out their costume – and then they begged to try them on or show them to someone every single moment for like two weeks straight. All I wanted to do was keep everything together so they could actually wear it for trick-or-treat – and then they could have it for play after.
But that’s the funny thing about kids and costumes – or maybe the annoying thing ha – we dropped way too much money on outfits that they wear like two times total and yet, after one parade dress up, three of the kids decided they didn’t want to be what we bought them. Oh no, they were able to create make-shift costumes at home instead. Listen, that would be wonderful – I am talking about them using all things we already had – free and creative. Except those overpriced outfits sat in their packages for half of our Halloween events – and I promised – or maybe threatened — that next year I am not spending money on costumes.
Speaking of costumes, the one time they did wear them, to attend a Halloween parade, it was like the world was ending when we made them put warm clothes on underneath. Is this real life? Yes, I know Ohio is moody and cannot decide if it wants to be summer or fall, but that day it was cold. And a long sleeve shirt was not going to ruin the whole get-up.
When it was finally time to trick-or-treat, it was almost like we had already attended too many Halloween events. Walking was hard, legs hurt, feet hurt – and we started like half an hour late, so we didn’t even do the entire two hours! All I could think about was the stories I heard when we were kids about how our parents used to run from house to house collecting as much candy as they could. And then I realized that the issue is probably that my kids are a little spoiled and the reward of candy was just not that unique or, well, rewarding.
At least not for them – listen, Lee and I are firm believers in “parent tax” when it comes to candy. And we have a lot of kids, so we have a lot of candy. Sometimes, we ask them for a certain type and sometimes we raid their basket when they fall asleep – it’s called balance – and parenting. And like, are you even a real parent if you don’t pick out the Reese’s pumpkins and secretly eat them? Oh wait, is that just me? Lee isn’t picky thankfully, so it helps diversify the remaining candy – if it has sugar in it, then he will eat it. Ha.
Listen, I know that these trick-or-treating years are fleeting – I really do! I don’t know how many more years I will have of my kids wanting to dress up and do all the Halloween fun. And despite all my complaining above, I truly did enjoy this time with my babies! It’s just that, I think I am over it now and ready to move on and make new memories with them in a new season.
So, hello November and turkeys and taking time to really be thankful for all the goodness in our lives. And goodbye spooky, scary and all things Halloween. October, you can keep all of that. Except for the candy, I think we just might hold on to that.
Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mom and bonus mom. She lives in Bath Township with her husband, Lee Parsons, and their seven kids.
