Why trick or treat sucked this year, well sort of...

It started going down hill when trick or treat was cancelled due to a freak snow storm in October and was postponed until 5 days later.   It makes you really not even want to bother with the whole damn thing.  It's kind of like,  "Oh well, the moment has passed, why bother?"  But of course, you have to man up and put on a good show for the the sake of the kids.  So all morning I put a smile on my face and pretended to eagerly agree with them about how excited I was to go trick or treating with them later that evening.

Add to that a long day of work, and several phone calls from the school nurse about my daughter complaining of a stomach ache and soar throat.  Finally on the second call I say screw it, close daycare early, and rush out the door to pick her up and jet over to the doctors for a rapid throat culture.   An hour later we get a negative result and I begin to  realize that my child is just fine.   Suddenly she has made some kind of miraculous recovery and I have a hunch that something is going on at school because I've noticed a trend with the whole nurse and stomach ache thing, but that will have to  be investigated at another time.   

We sit in rush hour traffic trying to get back from the doctors' office, finally we make it through the door and there is my husband wrapped in a comforter on the couch shivering and ghastly pale with a fever of 103 and it dawns on me that I will be all on my own tonight.  Meanwhile I had  been trying to make plans to meet up with some others to go trick or treating in a group but I get a text that they've already ventured out without us. 

Sweet, the night just keeps getting better and better.

Frustrated, I park on the side of the road in a neighborhood great for trick or treating. Tthe kids are upset about having to trick or treat without other children.  Again, I rise to the occasion,  put on a smile and say to them, "We can still have a great time guys!  Don't worry about it, it will be fun, trust me!"   But what I'm really thinking is just how much the flipping night sucks and how badly I just want to go home and park my ass on the couch.

After about 20 minutes the princess starts slowing waaaaaaay down.  She had insisted on wearing black high heel boots because they matched her costume and sneakers wouldn't.  Of  course it's much more important to look good than actually be practical, don'tcha know!    She wanted to go back to the car and be driven door to door.  I had no issue with this at all, the problem was we were way deep into the neighborhood and had quite a hike back.  We had no choice but to hoof it back to where I'd parked the car. 

In all fairness to my kids, they were AMAZING the long, cold walk back. The athlete offered to carry the princess's candy bag and he even took it up to all the houses on the way back so she didn't have to walk to every door because her feet hurt. She in turn raved about him the entire time and even gave him a giant hug at one point! 

Every once in a while they will both rally around each other and be there to support one another.  It's so reassuring and nice to see.   It gives me hope for the future that when they grow up they will have a close relationship and support each other.  This was the highlight of my night!  Very proud momma moment right there!

Our walk back was much slower but that was ok.  We made it eventually.  All three of us jumped in the car and proceeded to drive down the next street eager to keep trick or treating.  Our spirits were lifting.  I was warm, the princess was off her feet and the athlete was just happy to gather more candy.  We made it to two more houses when at the third I heard the princess yell from the grass, "I smell poop!"  As they made their way back to the car I heard her gag as she realized that her brother had stepped in dog crap.  I jumped out to assess the situation and was  blown back by the stench.

Upon further inspection I can report that he did not step in dog poop, he pretty much SUBMERGED his entire sneaker in a fresh pile o' crap.  It. was. foul.  There was no way in hell that sneaker was being salvaged, at least not on the side of the road.  With that I made the decision to call it a night.  Moans and protests rose up from both of them but I was done at that point.  To top it all off, I had just cleaned my van that week and had nothing to put that putrid smelly sneaker in.  We had to ride home with the windows down, freezing,  just so we could breathe and prevent us all from vomiting. 

The kids dumped their loot on the living room floor, proudly showing their sick as a dog father what they had collected.  I looked on in disbelief at just how little candy they had in their bags.  I was fearfully awaiting both of them to freak out at their small amount of loot.  But much to my surprise and delight, they didn't!  They were thrilled and content and even offered to trade candy with each other. 

I breathed a sigh of relief and thought back on the entire night,  the good, the bad, and the utterly foul.  It definitely wasn't the best Halloween we've ever had.  But, seeing my kids be there for one another and appreciate each other was a special and unexpected Halloween treat for me.