Halloween: Tiara's, Puppies, and Avoiding Melted Chocolate on the Car seat

Written by

Shelle Lenssen

The past few days have been filled with glittery wings, sparkling tiaras, a little girl stepping on her own tail, and floppy puppy ears. No, we haven't been whisked off to a magical fairy tale land, but Halloween is just around the corner, and according to my two daughters, that's pretty much the same thing.

I didn't really grasp this in my pre-kids days, but Halloween is a really, really big deal. My seven-year old’s imagination has been in overdrive and she’s been discussing costume ideas since June, finally settling on being a fairy. But she didn't want to be an ordinary fairy; she wanted to be a winter fairy. Apparently winter fairies wear iridescent white gowns, snowflake tiaras, and adorn their faces with glittery make-up. I'm inclined to go along with her plans for three reasons. 1) The costume was inexpensive, 2) The costume easily accommodates full-length leggings and a long-sleeved insulated top, both necessary for a chilly evening, and 3) It's going to be a lot of fun helping her get all decked-out and I'll earn some major mom points for letting her wear make-up.

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The two-year old, on the other hand is just adorable. She's just now grasping the concept of knocking on a neighbor's door, saying something cute and receiving candy as a reward. She doesn't typically get candy on a regular basis, so this new found knowledge is rocking her little world. Add the bonus of wearing a puppy costume and getting to bark at whomever she wants, and this dear girl is in heaven. She tried on her puppy costume after dinner a couple of days ago and she instantly imagined herself to be a real brown fuzzy puppy. She spent the rest of the evening crawling around on all-fours, barking at her sister and licking anyone who got close to her. We weren't allowed to call her by her name and she was our "Sweetie Puppy" for the night. Toddlers really are the cutest things ever at Halloween and seeing our little girl’s imagination grow and develop is such fun.

While our town has a myriad of Halloween Parties and Harvest Festivals leading up to the 31^st, this year we’re sticking with one party and we’ll go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Previous attempts to cram too many candy-filled evenings into one week have resulted in tired, whining children, frustrated parents, and a car backseat smeared with melted chocolate. By limiting the number of events, hopefully we’re making them feel a bit more special, and saving the collective sanity of our family.

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Other holidays throughout the year are given more importance due to their deeper meaning or long-held family traditions, but in our house Halloween is simply about having fun. It’s about planning out the perfect costume and getting dressed up. It’s about too much candy. It’s about the parents swiping some of that candy, and it’s about enjoying our kids while they still have big imaginations.