“Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.”
~Steve Almond
Have you ever met a kid who didn’t like Halloween? Me neither. It isn’t as cool as Christmas, but after a childhood spent hearing that we should never accept candy from strangers, it’s a pillowcase of giggles to wait ’til dark, then pretend we’re someone else as we’re escorted door to door in a procession of panhandling pleasure.
My memories of Halloween are all frosted in sugar. Even the year my best friend Jimmy and I had our bags snatched by a group of teenagers dressed as hoodlums (though now that I think about it, those probably weren’t costumes). That evening still ended with more candy than my body could process.
The magic of Halloween is trimmed with pretend. As children, we employ our imagination regardless of season, but it is on October’s last nightfall, when our activities are sanctioned, and we are rewarded for our performance with double the sugar it would take to embarrass a Ding Dong. A haul which makes even the best of parents reevaluate their clan’s confectionary commandments; more than enough to make a regular sugar high, teeter toward an overdose.
If we would ever like a clue how our little ones might behave, taller and stronger, away from us and inebriated, it’s easy enough to create the conditions. Halloween might just be the best day of the year to do it.
In my house, too much sugar and not enough sleep is a perfect recipe. Already, Daisy and I peer toward tomorrow, so we can see our Mia tipsy. Though calmly terrified, we’ve arrived at the conclusion that the knowledge has come early so that we may observe and initiate new behavior, rather than remain where we are and react when it’s too late.
We have more than a decade to steer her steady. Really, how different is it, learning to control our impulses? Isn’t alcohol just fermented sugar?
A dozen sentences back, I was only speculating, but I believe hypothesis is turning to theory right beneath my fingers. Teaching Mia to work through her punchiness while sick with sugar, is perhaps doing her (and ourselves) a giant favor. Can you imagine if our parents had had the foresight to teach us to safely navigate our way through inebriation. Wouldn’t you have wanted to drop a thank you card in the mail about a thousand times during your twenties?
Let’s do the hard work now, and save our offspring from a distant future filled with “Now, how did I wind up here?” or “Really? Gee, I don’t remember any of that.” Let’s buck up, band together, and do what needs to be done; lock the doors and hand over the treats.
Halloween’s on Friday this year. Let the kids go to town. Just remember, you’re still the sheriff and you can get better sleep if you need too.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
About Sean Platt
As a teacher I was always so glad when Halloween was on Friday or Saturday. That way when the kids woke up the next morning all hung over, they weren’t getting ready to go to school! They could recover with the ones that let them over treat! :O)
As a teacher I was always so glad when Halloween was on Friday or Saturday. That way when the kids woke up the next morning all hung over, they weren’t getting ready to go to school! They could recover with the ones that let them over treat! :O)
Ian: I never much cared for the candy either. I can’t say I’ve ever had liquid for Halloween either. We have been guilty of handing out fruit, or whatever else we could find when we ran out of candy. I am also guilty of slipping into the candy supply and helping myself to a couple of sour punch straws this morning so I’m right there with you on the blood sugar levels. A Happy Halloween to you.
Sal: We’re just going around our block a couple of times. The children seem to have more fun handing out the candy than they do going door to door. No, I never visited a house more than once. We’d just walk until exhausted, then cross the street and walk back.
Melissa Donovan: That happens to me every Thanksgiving. Daisy makes at least three different kinds of pasta and I just eat until my head is swimming. It is beautifully indulgent and euphoric.
Melissa (today, the rock star): We should never get too old for Halloween. My wife and I both dressed up this year. I tigger, she a picnic. Of course we have kids, but my sister dressed up and she did it just because Halloween gave her permission.
Bamboo: Fries and ranch dressing for me.
B. Wilde: Put them in the drunk tank! Mine ended up a bit under the weather. Mia had a lollipop “for her throat” and that was it. : > (
Laurie: November 1 – national holiday, what do you think?
Ian: I never much cared for the candy either. I can’t say I’ve ever had liquid for Halloween either. We have been guilty of handing out fruit, or whatever else we could find when we ran out of candy. I am also guilty of slipping into the candy supply and helping myself to a couple of sour punch straws this morning so I’m right there with you on the blood sugar levels. A Happy Halloween to you.
Sal: We’re just going around our block a couple of times. The children seem to have more fun handing out the candy than they do going door to door. No, I never visited a house more than once. We’d just walk until exhausted, then cross the street and walk back.
Melissa Donovan: That happens to me every Thanksgiving. Daisy makes at least three different kinds of pasta and I just eat until my head is swimming. It is beautifully indulgent and euphoric.
Melissa (today, the rock star): We should never get too old for Halloween. My wife and I both dressed up this year. I tigger, she a picnic. Of course we have kids, but my sister dressed up and she did it just because Halloween gave her permission.
Bamboo: Fries and ranch dressing for me.
B. Wilde: Put them in the drunk tank! Mine ended up a bit under the weather. Mia had a lollipop “for her throat” and that was it. : > (
Laurie: November 1 – national holiday, what do you think?
Absolutely! Contact your congressman!
Absolutely! Contact your congressman!
Laurie: I don’t have enough money. : > )
Laurie: I don’t have enough money. : > )
I also love the homemade costumes. They’re the best!
I don’t mind giving treats to teens who dress up. If they aren’t, and want candy, they have to sing me a song before I’ll give them anything. Some will do it, some will pass. I give out good candy, so they usually pony up with a song. :)
GreenJellos last blog post..Blogtations
I also love the homemade costumes. They’re the best!
I don’t mind giving treats to teens who dress up. If they aren’t, and want candy, they have to sing me a song before I’ll give them anything. Some will do it, some will pass. I give out good candy, so they usually pony up with a song. :)
GreenJellos last blog post..Blogtations
Our whole neighborhood went wild this year. I talked about it on my blog. With pictures!
apathy lounges last blog post..House of Blacklights and Chocolate
Our whole neighborhood went wild this year. I talked about it on my blog. With pictures!
apathy lounges last blog post..House of Blacklights and Chocolate
I tried, I really tried to let the kids eat as much as they wanted, but my momminess (is that even a word?) took over after about 5 pieces each. I mean, come on! We had to save room for the s’mores!
Which leads me to another funny – apparently Little Man doesn’t like s’mores. There must be something wrong with that kid – either that or he isn’t mine.
Kool Aids last blog post..Halloween
I tried, I really tried to let the kids eat as much as they wanted, but my momminess (is that even a word?) took over after about 5 pieces each. I mean, come on! We had to save room for the s’mores!
Which leads me to another funny – apparently Little Man doesn’t like s’mores. There must be something wrong with that kid – either that or he isn’t mine.
Kool Aids last blog post..Halloween
Laurie, when I lived in Nevada, everyone trick-or-treated on October 30th. Why? Because October 31st was “Nevada Day”, the day Nevada became a state. And there was no school on the 31st. :) Perfect for teachers!
GreenJellos last blog post..Howard Gardner’s Eight Types of Intelligence Test
Laurie, when I lived in Nevada, everyone trick-or-treated on October 30th. Why? Because October 31st was “Nevada Day”, the day Nevada became a state. And there was no school on the 31st. :) Perfect for teachers!
GreenJellos last blog post..Howard Gardner’s Eight Types of Intelligence Test
Green Jello: I actually had two teenage boys, fourteen or fifteen, no costumes whatsoever (unless denim shorts seventeen sizes too large could be considered a costume). They just stood in front of my gate, without a trick or treat back, wordless, holding out their hands for candy. Fortunately, they were followed by a set of twin girls in homemade fairy costumes. They were about the most adorable things ever.
Apathy Lounge: Ooh, I’ll have to head over. I want to see the pictures.
Kool Aid: No S’mores! Have you had a DNA test?
Green Jello: That’s it. We’re packing up and crossing the state line.
Green Jello: I actually had two teenage boys, fourteen or fifteen, no costumes whatsoever (unless denim shorts seventeen sizes too large could be considered a costume). They just stood in front of my gate, without a trick or treat back, wordless, holding out their hands for candy. Fortunately, they were followed by a set of twin girls in homemade fairy costumes. They were about the most adorable things ever.
Apathy Lounge: Ooh, I’ll have to head over. I want to see the pictures.
Kool Aid: No S’mores! Have you had a DNA test?
Green Jello: That’s it. We’re packing up and crossing the state line.
If your little ones come to Madison, WI for college, they can do the “drunk” and the “Halloween” all in one! Ooh, that’s a scary thought.
Daisys last blog post..I just can’t hide it!
If your little ones come to Madison, WI for college, they can do the “drunk” and the “Halloween” all in one! Ooh, that’s a scary thought.
Daisys last blog post..I just can’t hide it!