Whether you refer to this holiday as Halloween or Harvest Fest... It is sure to be filled with smiles and laughter.  These littles start planning their costumes in early September once they start seeing the stores stocking shelves with candy and racks with costumes.  It is only September 7th and my 11 year old has already told me that she is having a Halloween party this year because she is in middle school.  My reply?  "Oh, I forgot you got a job this year and that you are expecting a raise to be able to afford a party for 20 sixth graders."  Oh puh-lease.  I may have lost my championship title as "coolest mom ever" but I gladly hand that over to a mom who says yes to that!  My forte is decorating the house.  Nothing to extreme just "cutesy" and enough to catch your eye as you drive by and admire my attempt.  

COSTUMES:
I don't fuss about what the "meaning" of Halloween is.  It is a moment where guess what?.... a kid gets to be A KID!  Do we realize how different it is for kids now? No recess and homework starting in the first grade!  It is a day where all kids are friends, where parents loosen the reigns, and where "eat as much as you want" is okay for a single night.  Let them get creative!  Regardless of what we think.  Schools now do book characters or historical figures and church still requires the same ol' "God pleasing" costumes.  So on their night--let them own their pick. They will love you for it.  Odds are they will also try it on eighteen times before the "big day."  When I was growing up we had plastic masks with a tiny mouth opening and plastic cape costumes that probably didn't last the night.  We were vampires, witches, babies, moms, hobos, rollerskating waitresses, hillbillies, bags of jellybeans...homemade and reusable!  Those costumes probably saw more than one year and more than one sibling usage.

GRUMPY NEIGHBORS:
Don't think I have forgotten about the crotchety old neighbors that hate the holiday.  Last year there was so much chaos on Facebook regarding the "best trick-o-treating neighborhoods."  People went nuts basically saying keep to your own neighborhood and leave ours to the current residents.  When did this become about adults?  If you don't want to hand out candy to a hundred children that are thrilled to be at your doorstep then don't buy any and leave your light off.  I don't recommend leaving your bowl out with a sign that says "Take One" because that will last all of 12.5 minutes. We do get annoyed by 15-18 year olds out there trick-o-treating but eh...not worth my breath!  They want to earn cavities too!  This is one night out of 365, let them have it.

FAMILY TRADITION:
Think about all the pictures of you as a child on this very night.  Embarrassing, ridiculous, haunting, but hilarious and priceless! I am so happy that we had the tradition as a kid.  We have gobs of pictures with cousins and siblings.  We didn't go to the fanciest neighborhoods, we went to visit family. Every year the same... Aunt Gloria's for piping hot Apple Cider and Popcorn Balls (treated in that neighborhood), Aunt Corrinne's to check out everyone's costumes, and Aunt Ethel's for the jackpot!  See Aunt Ethel and Uncle Lawrence lived in Highwood Trailer Park.  This was the the place where we didn't have to walk long distances between homes and where residents didn't skimp on candy!  These traditions have long since changed, but these memories will travel a lifetime.  What types of traditions are you starting with your children?  

So get out there....have fun....and take pictures.  After all--that's all we can hold on to while our children grow up.  Below you can check out some costumes from the past 6 years.  The rest are on what we call "film" and that requires me looking in the attic.  Hope you all have a wonderful time preparing for the upcoming Halloween!  

xoxoxo-Chunky Chick