Just Get the Candy and Walk Away

By the time our neighborhood hosted their annual trick-or-treating block party, Phoenix was pretty wiped out. Even before Halloween night, Phoenix had taken advantage of the annual tradition on two other occasions. The first was at church on Sunday evening. Our congregation had a Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot behind the church building. Phoenix and Fox suited up into their costumes and went around to various vehicles collecting candy for their goodie bags. On the morning of Halloween, Phoenix's Day School class went trick-or-treating at a nearby apartment complex for retirees. On the way home from Day School, Phoenix told Wendy that he didn't want to trick or treat anymore. I guess kids can get overloaded with too much holiday fun.

At 3pm that afternoon, Wendy and I met to close on the refinancing of our house. Following the close, I took Phoenix in my car and Wendy took Fox in hers. Phoenix fell asleep on the way home, which was concerning, because we were only about an hour away from the start of the neghborhood trick-or-treat outing. We were scheduled to meet some neighbors and other friends at 5:30 for dinner. I called Wendy to tell her that Phoenix was asleep. We were both disappointed, because we didn't want him to miss out on the fun of dressing up and going door to door. After all, it only comes around once a year.

My plan was to let Phoenix sleep for an hour, then meet up with our friends after dinner. However, Phoenix woke up when I tried to lay him in his bed, so we were able to stay on schedule. And, Phoenix woke up in a good mood, which is always a plus. We got him suited up in his Thomas the Train costume and we all headed off down the street to our neighbor's house.

When we arrived, kids were everywhere. Other neighborhood children were getting a jump start on the festivities and were already knocking on doors and collecting candy. Neighbors were setting up their tables, setting out candy, and tweaking last-minute decorations.




By the time everyone had eaten, it was around 6:30. Darkness was just settling over the neighborhood, so we rounded up the children, passed out glow sticks, opened our candy bags, and went off into the night.



Phoenix and Isabelle rode together in the wagon. Fox stayed in his stroller, with Wendy at the wheel. Sid walked with Brady. Lori pulled the wagon. I was the official photographer. We hit more houses this year than we did last year. At every stop, the children seemed to get more and more excited. Phoenix was a real pro. He would hop out of his wagon, run up to the door, and shout, "Twick oh Tweat." He would get his candy, laugh a little, then say, "Come on Belle." Then, they returned to the wagon and we were off to the next house.


It was so much fun for me to see my children enjoying Halloween. And I couldn't help but laugh at some of the things Phoenix said and did while he and Isabelle went door to door. At one house, Phoenix told Isabelle, "Just get the candy and walk away." At another house, a nice woman knelt down to hand Phoenix some candy from a bowl. After getting some candy from her bowl, Phoenix walked into the house, grabbed some candy from another bowl sitting inside, then came running out the front door yelling, "Let's go!"

In all, we hit up more houses this year than we did last year, which was fun, because it made the experience last longer. Phoenix was disappointed after we finished, but he didn't whine, complain or fuss about it. We all re-grouped at the house where the whole party started (I guess for an Operation: Candy debrief, of sorts) and I went through Phoenix's goodie bag to make sure that no "iffy" looking candy was inside. As I rifled through his candy, I had flashbacks to my own childhood when my mom would literally break up every piece of candy looking for contraband that could harm me or my brother. I never understood how someone could get a syringe into a mini Reese's cup, but that's my mom for you.

I'm glad to report that no tainted candy got into my childrens' candy bags.