Halloween is such an exciting time of year. The colors of trees are changing as the air becomes increasingly crisp. It is the beginning of the holiday season. Although most parents enjoy the Halloween season, the true excitement typically comes from the children – the picking of the best-sized pumpkin, the artistic carving of each pumpkin and then the selection of the perfect Halloween costume.
Parents enjoy Halloween, but at the same time are overly consumed with their duties of the safety patrol. Are the children’s costumes so dark that they make it difficult for them to be seen by drivers? Have any new people moved into the neighborhood that may not pass out trustworthy candy? Which parent is walking the kids around the neighborhood in the cold and which parent gets to stay in the warmth of the home passing out candy? My non-scientific survey indicated that the fathers typically endured the cold by a 15-to-1 margin.
Halloween is usually an extremely fun evening but one that on occasion ends with a bit of frustration – especially if the kids have been sampling the goods throughout the night resulting in massive sugar rush coinciding with their bedtime.
It is almost 10:00 pm and the kids are finally just about asleep. As you sit back to watch television and secretly sneak a sample of your children’s hard work for the evening, the doorbell rings. The kids are now back up and running to the top of the stairs. As the door opens, there stood 3 teenage boys holding a pillowcase without costume saying “Trick or Treat.”
I know there is officially no ending time for Halloween, but it is 10 o’clock. I know that I am going to sound like my father, but how about show a little effort – no costume just a pillowcase? To build on my irritation, the children were now out of bed and as I dropped candy into one of the boy’s green plaid pillowcase I noticed he had one of my favorite types of candy – which I was unable to find when I previously dug through my kids haul for the evening.
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Husband, father, coffee connoisseur and lover of all things hockey. At 51 I sometimes wonder have I done enough. I have been married to my best friend for 30 years. She knows all my faults and loves me anyway, As a father of “almost always” perfect boys, I am always surprised at what life has to offer. It is messy, scary, thrilling, and always fun.
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