Jamie Patterson Managing EditorAll the ghouls, goblins, witches and ghosts have gone back into hiding until the next Halloween.
It was a real treat for my husband Jason and I to dress our son James and daughter Elsie up for their second Halloween together.
James is nearing his fifth birthday so he thinks he has this Halloween thing down to an expert level.
James was Darth Vader while baby Elsie was a pirate.
Before tucking them into bed, their tummies were filled with sweets and other goodies. It took a long time to get them down from their sugar high, but they loved every moment.
When I was a little girl, I loved Halloween so much. It was so much more than costumes and candies. It was about visiting with family and neighbors. The whole evening was perfect as a child.
With the exception of the one year that I dressed up like a Glo Worm, I was always a witch. With a black dress, black tights and black hat, I kept it pretty simple. But I remember this strange necklace that Momma found in a costume store that wrapped around my neck like a snake, with ruby eyes.
Once the parties at school were over, I eagerly waited to be picked up so that I could hop into my costume and begin my night of festivities.
I would knock on the door of every house in our neighborhood. Some neighbors who were family friends would have special bags made up just for me.
And I can remember the temptation of looking into other people’s houses who I didn’t know so well. It must be a “kid” thing because James will run inside a complete stranger’s house in a second during his trick or treating rounds.
After we made our way around the neighborhood, Momma would load me up and take me to the “rich” neighborhood across town.
I would gaze up at the mansions and dream about living in a house that large one day.
This was the land of Snickers, Hershey bars and Sugar Daddies. There wasn’t any candy corn or peanut butter taffy.
This was the good stuff.
Then we would make our way to the homes of family members. As they continued to snap pictures, I would be shoving another Baby Ruth in my mouth.
Maw Maw and Paw Paw would always have an entire bucket waiting for me at their house. It would be filled with candy, cheap carnival toys, wax lips and stickers.
And Paw Paw would sneak me a Coca Cola on the side. Since he was a diabetic and wasn’t supposed to have sugar, he and I would sneak outside and guzzle the pops down before anyone noticed. It was our little secret.
We would visit with my grandparents until the last group of kids rang their doorbell.
A few times Maw Maw ran out of candy and gave them cans of vienna sausage and canned oranges.
When I went to bed that night, I would be filled with sweets and on top of the world. It was the only time of the year that I was allowed to eat mountains of candy and run around the town crazy with the other kids.
And judging by the amount of toilet paper hanging from trees I saw on the way to take James to school this morning, kids are still running around the town crazy on Halloween.
Halloween seems to bring out the kid in everybody.
Even though I am 30 years old now, I still dig around in my kids’ buckets looking for a Kit Kat bar. I “steal” a few pieces of bubble gum from them.
I like to dress up in costumes and run around with the kids.
Jason is just as bad.
Shoving fake blood in his mouth, he fell out in the kitchen last night with a “serious ailment.” James loved it, but poor Elsie thought it was real, rushing to her daddy’s aid.
It was a night filled with candy, costumes, havoc and fellowship.
It always has been and I have a feeling it always will be for years to come.