Halloween

Today is the day after Halloween--a  thankless holiday on the account of its temptation to eat candy to the point of being gluttonous and to keep my kids so high on refined sugar and chemical preservatives that I need to eat more candy and drink more wine.  A vicious cycle--

 This year our neighborhood has filled in quite a lot.  We've added several streets and many houses, most of the houses occupied by a few kids who like my own, couldn't wait to go collecting all the candy they could stuff in orange bags with jack-o-lantern faces.  We started gearing up for Halloween about a month ago, knowing we'd see an influx in trick-or-treaters and that we'd probably be planning some sort of get-together with the neighbors--a kind of

First on the list was to find costumes.  I've definitely spent too much on costumes in past years--and in the spirit of this year's economy being in the toilet, I was delighted and secretly proud to have FREE costumes fall into my lap.  While at my aunt's house, the kids came upstairs with paper monkey masks on--a freebie from the movie theater promoting some monkey movie.  They were surprisingly realistic and actually pretty funny, so I decided that with the help of brown sweatsuits, we'd be in business for Halloween.  I found the brown outfits without too much trouble, and told everyone who asked that we were going "cheap" this year--none of those $50 costumes for us!

That all changed when Jeff started tormenting Keeton with the monkey mask.  Even a cute, smiley monkey face can become scary and demonic when it is used to wake you up from a peaceful  sleep...aka, Jeff's form of child abuse.  He wouldn't claim it as such, of course--he thought it was hilarious, every time he did it, every morning.  Keeton, on the other hand, cried and covered his face with his hands (Home Alone fashion, except over his eyes).  So, no monkey for Halloween--Keeton wouldn't even come near the mask which found it's new home in our coffee cabinet, mom's domain.

 When the kids got an invite to a costume party I knew I couldn't send Ella  in her monkey get-up and Keeton in a brown sweatshirt.   What could I claim he was?  I entertained the UPS man for a few minutes and then at 10:30 p.m. conceded to having to purchase costumes.  Finally, I settled on bumble bees--a yellow tunic top striped black for Keeton complete with stuffed-felt wings and a tie on hat, and a tu-tu like dress in yellow and black for Ella.  There.  Done.  No more guilt.

So, the kids fared well at the party, except for anytime anyone with any type of mask came in eye-range of Keeton.  Assume the pose--hands up and over eyes.  Cry--run for an adult--any adult. 

Halloween night arrived and I was exhausted before it began--I knew we didn't have enough candy the second I saw the first mob of Hannah Montanna's and Keeton was already anxiously eyeing anyone who appeared to be wearing a mask.   All in all, it went well though--and guess what Keeton put on this morning?  Yep, the monkey mask. . .