Last Halloween
I think I might have experienced my last year walking with a trick or treater last night. I really wasn’t prepared for it and actually didn’t think much about it when he was hoping to meet up with friends. But I think these days might be over.
Halloween has always been one of my favorites and even more so when I became a mom two days before 18 years ago and brought him home on Halloween. We lived on base in California and I remember my neighbor sticking a note on the door saying to not ring the doorbell, because we had a new baby. She knew that we would be inundated with lots of kids on base. We were inundated with parents that wanted to see the new baby, too. We were so proud to show him off just as we have been every year to show off our little trick or treaters.
It never occurred to me that finally having my own little trick or treater (s) would eventually end. My oldest did still dress up for a Governor’s School field trip yesterday. He was the Mystery Machine from “Scooby Doo”, though he should have been Shaggy. My girl dressed up as Damian from “Mean Girls”. Think “She doesn’t even go here.” Neither of them went out trick or treating, though. Earlier in the day, I was trying to figure out their plans and if anyone would be home to give out candy. My oldest said that he would be handing out homework, since he had so much to work on. My daughter went to her friends, dressed up, to watch movies. They might have gone to a certain church secretary’s house for the full size candy bars. I am not quite sure when they actually stopped going door to door though. The youngest, who dressed up as an anime character from “Attack on Titan”, wanted to meet up with his besties over in the village, which I was totally fine with letting him run off with them to hunt for candy.
He ended up not meeting up with the friends because they had taken off before we got over there. Then it hit me. This was it. And I was a little bummed for him and a little happy for us. (He was totally fine with it, though.) I am sure that next year will look and feel different. Middle school will mean that he will want that freedom to be off with his friends. I’m gonna miss it for sure and it has flown by. (So cherish it, Mamas.) My babies are growing up and will be spreading their wings and for the most part, that is okay, until we get to the last one. That will be hard.
It has been a good run. 18 years of taking our kiddos out and about. Next year, I guess, we will get to enjoy what few little ones that still trick or treat in our neighborhood coming to our door or maybe some of my friends with littles will adopt me and let me trick or treat with them.
