Happy Halloween!

I've never really been a great fan of Halloween.  It may be because my mom was not the stitch and sew kind of mom, so I never had any great homemade costumes to parade around in.  My parents were all about going to Woolworth's and picking out one of the boxed costumes that were made out of plastic, so you would sweat all day in it.  I was constantly the kid in the lame costume, so I gave up on Halloween early in life.

My dad always insisted that Halloween was the biggest money making holiday, next to Christmas.  I never believed him...who cares that much about Halloween?  Well, it turns out that he was right, people spend the second largest amount of money on Halloween after Christmas.  Have you been in one of those Halloween stores? There are $50+ costumes and decorations galore!  Do you have neighbors who have the giant inflatable pumpkin, spider webs and pumpkins all over their yard?  I guess a lot of people care about Halloween.

It seems odd that I teach little children, yet Halloween is my least favorite holiday.  Every year I wake up with a headache and dread the costume changing, the parades, parties, candy, trick-or-treating and sugar hang-overs the next day.  Ugh...it all drives me crazy!

This year I had a new approach to this over-rated holiday, I embraced the holiday and joined in the fun.  I actively put together a costume (with enthusiasm).  My girls kept reminding me, "Mom, you hate Halloween" as I joyfully put together my costume over the weekend.  I bought Halloween candy instead of stickers, toys or tooth brushes for trick-or-treaters, I woke up without a headache and enjoyed the day.

I started to get a little irritated by 7:15pm when the teenagers were still ringing my doorbell, but greeted them with a smile and then shouted "enough of Halloween!" once the door was closed.

It's 8:17 pm, the neighborhood is quiet and there is still candy left over in our trick-or-treat bowl (to be stashed for mom snacking and lunch treats).  My costume has been dis-assembled and I am in my "mom pants" and sweatshirt.  Ahhh...Happy Halloween!