Trunk-or-Treat and Halloween Memories
I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween. I don’t like to be scared, or grossed out, or assaulted with images reminiscent of a dark and dreary funeral. Call me crazy, but putting a bunch of plastic grave stones in my front yard has never been on my to-do list. Ever. Most of the gore associated with the holiday just flat out creeps me out. So aside from well-wishing trick-or-treaters and handing candy out at the front door, I rarely participate.
It’s nothing new – I’ve always been like this. I think the last time I dressed for trick-or-treating was sometime in the early 90s. My friends would dress up and go to parties and I would stay home dolling out candy singing Christmas carols and thinking about pumpkin pies. If you think I’m joking you should ask my sister. Halloween was my green-light to start the Christmas CDs on repeat . . . but I digress . . .
Then I became a mom and all the cutesy baby costumes got to me. They are undeniably adorable. When Elijah’s first Halloween rolled around, I couldn’t help myself. We put him in a Yoda costume, called Grandma and Papa, and trekked over to our (then new) church’s Trunk-or-Treat party.
We went again the following year. Elijah had so much fun because he was actually able to appreciate the event, and most importantly the candy. Me and my pregnant self spent the majority of the time chasing the little monkey from car to car and swiping candy from his pumpkin, but we made some family memories and had an incredible time.
We are currently gearing up for Trunk or Treat 2011, and I am almost finished with the Batman and Robin costumes. I think I am more excited than my kids, but I have a lot to be excited about this year. This will be Mike’s first all-church event on staff at Willow North Shore. It will be Noah’s first Halloween. If I thought Elijah had fun last year, he will be over the moon in two weeks. I get the joy of watching Batman’s cape trailing from car to car knowing I did something I love to do and making a little boy very, very happy at the same time.
For some people Halloween is all about the gore, but for me it’s not – and that’s ok. We are planning to have fun as a family and be silly and pretend to be super heroes. We will go trick-or-treating at our neighbors houses and visit our family and take lots and lots of pictures. We will eat candy. We will swoon over the costumes of all the kiddies who come to our home on Halloween and enjoy the innocence that can be found on the day. Halloween is what you make of it. Our Halloween will be one filled with silly boys, happy smiles and laughter.
For me that makes all the difference.
Trunk or Treat is a yearly free family event hosted by Willow Creek North Shore where costumed kids (and adults) trick-or-treat from car trunk to car trunk. Check the website for this year’s information.