Double, Double...Toil and Trouble

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Halloween has come and gone once more, and no lavish costumes cloaked this family.  Cam and I wore recycled costumes of halloweens past.  Sophia looked absolutely adorable in her little China Girl outfit - which was gifted as a pajama this past summer (thanks Aunt Jenn and Uncle Calvin!!)  It came in very handy - she wore it to three different Halloween parties.

Trick-or-treat? Most definitely treat!  Sophia got really good at holding out her bag to receive treats - and lots of them.  She has become an expert at opening up candy wrappers.  She ate at least two lollipops and a handful of skittles tonight.  Her hands were all sticky and her sugary sweet face full of smiles before getting ready for bed.  I hope she dreams of fairy princesses and babies dressed like pumpkins tonight instead of the scary monsters that made her cry.

We only got one trick-or-treater at our house tonight.  ONE!!  How disappointing.  Now who's going to eat the two big bags of leftover candy?  I'm thinking they will last till next halloween - but then again maybe not.  Nothin' like chocolate to warm my soul this winter.

I'm a little sad that Sophia probably won't experience the kind of Halloween I had as a child - at least not in this big city.  As a child, I remember leaving my house with my brother soon after dinner time, clad in crazy home-made costumes and pillow cases in hand, and hitting the streets with our friends.  We went all over, not worried about perverts abducting us or tainted candies poisoning us.  We were free to be kids and allowed to go places that heightened our imaginations, daring each other to knock at houses thought to be haunted, challenging monsters to appear from the dark.  We would circle the huge neighborhood at least three times, taking note of the houses that had extra-special candy.  After we were satisfied, we would all gather at the sidewalk and compare our loots.  Our delighted oohs and aahs would last until our moms' voices in the distance called us to get home and get to bed.  I hope the world that awaits Sophia will have that same carefree magic and safe enchantment that nurtured me as a child.