Tricked Out For Treats

I spent today making Halloween costumes for the kids. Every year I say that I'll be more organized this time and get them done sooner in the month. I mean, Halloween is October 31 every single year so you'd think I'd know by now that I need to plan in advance. Alas, I've turned into a procrastinator of epic proportions.

I know you're trying to give me the benefit of the doubt - Halloween isn't until Friday. While I sincerely appreciate this generous thought on my behalf, I feel the need to tell you that we went trick or treating tonight. There's not much leeway for me now, is there?

Becky wanted to be Little Bo Peep, and once again I am horrified that Halloween has turned cute girly get-ups into skanky streetwalker wear. If you think for one second that I'll be allowing my daughter to dress like a hobag, you're gravely mistaken. So I made her a costume. That thing took nearly all day to pull together. Who knew?

The boys weren't quite so difficult. Josh wanted to be a football player, Luke a pirate, and we forced Micah to don the Buzz Lightyear costume that has been in the dress-up box for years. This was Halloween, Round 1.




We do not live in a town, so trick-or-treat night doesn't happen. When there's no neighborhood, it's difficult to organize anything. Country folk drive to the homes of friends and family. We log many miles on the van, I get to drive through Starbucks (why do the kids get all the goodies?), and we don't have to worry about them taking candy from strangers. It makes for a late night, but a happy chocolate-filled one.

Tonight we started in our own part of the woods and hit my family first. (We all live within a half mile of each other. Yeh, it's fun.) We then came back to home base and had supper so the kids didn't get sick from inhaling sugar all night. While we were here Micah decided he was done with Buzz and tossed the costume aside. Since it was snowing (did I forget to mention that? Because it was.) I redressed him as a football player as well. That way I could put a coat underneath his jersey and make him look all padded-like. I have to say, he was terribly cute. And warm.

Then started Halloween, Round 2. Sadly I don't have pictures. But I do have this. See? It snowed. And it was cold.




The kids were talking about how they hate when people give them apples instead of candy. While I agree that trick or treating is all about the chocolate, I do appreciate those who try to combat the obvious sugar overload. And while the kids obviously feel this way, being a mom I feel the need to remind them to be thankful for whatever they get.

So we stop at a friend's house who doesn't have candy on hand. (I know! It's Halloween week for Pete's sake!) We just got done with the apple talk and the kids started snickering when they saw the apples come out. But only one got an apple. The others? Got creamed corn, tuna, and cream of mushroom soup.

While we are still laughing immensely over this, the kids are now thinking that apples are not the worst thing in the world when you're trick or treating. That would be creamed corn and tuna.

19 comments:

Michelle said...

Ohhh that cracks me up... all of it actually. I love the idea of the Little Bo Peep costume. I've yet to figure out what Little Miss is going to be, but I figure I've got a few more days and we're still in Orlando anyway! Creamed corn! HA! I'd so do that if I didn't know that doing so would mean I'd get egged.

Flea said...

Mmm! Creamed corn! I'm so jealous! NOT!!! LOL!

There are worse things, such as not ever trick or treating.

Karen said...

I would so be that neighbor i someone trick or treated at my house tonight. Wait, it would be canned green beans and stewed tomatoes. That is sooooo funny.

I agree about sweet costume turning into something entirely different. It's a battle I tell ya.

pb&j in a bowl said...

Creamed corn?!? That's freakin' hilarious. I always save the nasty candy through the year to give to the "way to old to be taking all the good candy" and the "I'm too cool to wear a costume" kids. This gives me some ideas (not that your kids fit into either category).

The Sports Mama said...

First, loved Becky's costume.

Second, is your football player wearing baseball pants? 'Cuz that would create a totally awesome new sport!

We have not yet figured out the whole costume thing here. *sigh*

I'm trying to convince Jock to just wear ANYthing if he's going to insist on doing the whole trick or treating thing. Otherwise, its just cheating. I told him that if he won't at least make an admittedly lame attempt at a costume....I'm going to hope people just refuse to give him any candy.

Bug just wants to be something scary. That's his sole requirement. I'm pretty sure that if I just made him up to look like a teenage boy, it would scare all the parents in the neighborhood.

Gina said...

The canned food is hilarious! My friend's dad died right before Halloween last year and people kept bringing food by her house - especially fried chicken - she had tons of it. So she started joking that instead of Trick or Treat, they would be having Trick or Chicken.

Burgh Baby said...

Y'know, I've heard of people doing the canned goods thing before and I always wonder, do they not have any change lying around? I mean, throw a couple of quarters in that bucket and you can save yourself a lifetime of being known as "The Creamed Corn Lady."

I have determined that I will NEVER make Alexis' Halloween costume, unless she begs me and promises to buy me a house when she's rich. We have already had three trick-or-treating/Halloween get-togethers, so her costume would have had to be made over a week ago. I can't function that early in the month.

the planet of janet said...

as the resident i-am-so-NOT-the-craft-mom, i'm with burgh baby on the not-making-the-costume thing.

that being said, this is the first year that no one is going out trick-or-treating in my house.

i'm sad because i was really hoping someone would bring home a can of creamed corn.

Paula Lynn Johnson said...

Hey, at least it wasn't liverwurst!

Cecily R said...

No WAY! Seriously? I think that's one of the best Trick or Treating stories ever!!

Anonymous said...

I'm still appalled at the snow. WRONG. And, apples? It could be much worse.

AutoSysGene said...

Creamed corn and tuna...sheeh, those people are lucky they didn't get a trick, huh?

KG said...

I have NO appreciation for people who try to down the sugar content and provide things like pretzels and apples. What the hell - Halloween is FOR sugary goodness.

Though I will admit - I love cream of mushroom soup - you can make some really hawt stuff with that stuff!

JennyH said...

HaHa!! I'd rather have apples than canned goods!

Cute outfits. Max will be something out of our dress up clothes this year- Hope he wears it. We'll see how long it last.

caramama said...

One year, I got a toothbrush from a neighbor. That was the worst ever. I never went back to their house.

Very cute outfits! I'm so impressed!

Andrea said...

LOL, Canned food!! LOL!! That would be somthing that people down here would do!! LOL!!

You are so good to make their costumes. Some day I will do that.

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

LOL! Maybe it's a hint and they think you were on a food drive! I would have never believed it if it didn't come from you. It was 70 degrees last night for trick or treating. My kids have tons of candy because they also went by their dad's office and filled up their bags before going out last night. Too bad we live so far apart because I'd be happy to share!

Oh, and I was putting together Diva's costume the day before.

Wineplz said...

tuna? Really? that's hilarious! :D

And everyone looked fantastic in their costumes!

Michelle said...

I can't believe it snowed already! Canned food in the halloween bag is certainly new!