Having been a church-going Mormon most of my life, marrying the boy, having the kids, raising the mutts, and soon comes my favorite holiday of the year: Halloween. (It's now a very close second to Christmas). For years I would revel in the delight of this season, the shower of free candy, and the crazy dress-ups encouraged and sometimes participated with adults.
I looked forward to the parade of cute offspring, the ticket to a bucket of sugar again, and the gleaning of Snickers bars from your kids pail. Not to mention the reception of cherished Halloween memories: harvest moons, late nights, and contests to see if you could ever fill a pillowcase full of candy like your older brother did every year.
Here we are at The Mister's work Halloween Party, 2010. I swear I'm smaller than my husband. Is he hugging the wall?
But then as a parent, I was introduced to a new Halloween tradition that popped up in the Mormon sphere since my old trick-or-treating days: The Parking Lot Trunk-or-Treat. Whoever invented this was a tactical genius. All the congregation members line up their cars in the parking lot, pop the hood, and the kids walk to each car and say "Trunk or Treat" and they get their candy. Church camaraderie, adult supervision, increasing trick-or-treating efficiency by 58%...what's not to love?
After participating in it for a good 5 years, I regretted this new tradition. Not enough working for the sugar, and any kid not a member of your church going through the neighborhood where half the homes are blacked out cause they're scoring a truckload at the church.
Which was why I was excited when we moved to our semi-country burb-ville back in 2008. Our new ward (aka congregation) didn't have the trunk or treat! Back to the basics of 2/3 of a bucket of candy per mile walked, meeting neighbors outside your "ward boundaries", walking up to porches with lighted pumpkins and the perfectly spaced parade of costumes throughout the blocks of houses.
Much to my dismay, here in my 3rd Halloween out in my little country town, the trunk or treat returned. Boo!
Did I participate? Absolutely. Did I have fun? Yes. Did I let any kid reach into my basket without saying "Trick-or-Treat"? Absolutely not. Did we increase our trick-or-treating efficiency? Because of the freezing cold rain, we increased by a solid 75%!
Plus Rainbow Girl's bestest friend that moved out of our valley came back for a visit. Halloween's are always better with a buddy! Check out Vanilla Wafer, my little Captain America. Does he look miserable or what? The rain came just as we pulled into the church.
So we love and hate you trunk-or-treat. Just like Wal-Mart. Please go away next year so we can work for our candy and branch out in the neighborhood!
Here's some more Halloween Highlights:
Please enjoy the following picture of my oldest wisest brother Derek. Derek and Keri pull off an amazing Halloween party every year, and here's the bro dressed up as a b-baller. The top picture is of him trying to light the outdoor heater. Yes, I said light. As in fire. And he's wearing a gigantic wick on the top of his head.
My bro has been asked several times what his ethnic background is. I'm hoping next year he'll grow a beard and wear a turban and see how long he can wander through posh neighborhoods before someone calls the FAA.
And for anyone else pining for Old School Halloween, enjoy my favorite Seinfeld act ever! This is sooo my childhood. I heart it.
Here we are at The Mister's work Halloween Party, 2010. I swear I'm smaller than my husband. Is he hugging the wall?
But then as a parent, I was introduced to a new Halloween tradition that popped up in the Mormon sphere since my old trick-or-treating days: The Parking Lot Trunk-or-Treat. Whoever invented this was a tactical genius. All the congregation members line up their cars in the parking lot, pop the hood, and the kids walk to each car and say "Trunk or Treat" and they get their candy. Church camaraderie, adult supervision, increasing trick-or-treating efficiency by 58%...what's not to love?
After participating in it for a good 5 years, I regretted this new tradition. Not enough working for the sugar, and any kid not a member of your church going through the neighborhood where half the homes are blacked out cause they're scoring a truckload at the church.
Which was why I was excited when we moved to our semi-country burb-ville back in 2008. Our new ward (aka congregation) didn't have the trunk or treat! Back to the basics of 2/3 of a bucket of candy per mile walked, meeting neighbors outside your "ward boundaries", walking up to porches with lighted pumpkins and the perfectly spaced parade of costumes throughout the blocks of houses.
Much to my dismay, here in my 3rd Halloween out in my little country town, the trunk or treat returned. Boo!
Did I participate? Absolutely. Did I have fun? Yes. Did I let any kid reach into my basket without saying "Trick-or-Treat"? Absolutely not. Did we increase our trick-or-treating efficiency? Because of the freezing cold rain, we increased by a solid 75%!
Plus Rainbow Girl's bestest friend that moved out of our valley came back for a visit. Halloween's are always better with a buddy! Check out Vanilla Wafer, my little Captain America. Does he look miserable or what? The rain came just as we pulled into the church.
So we love and hate you trunk-or-treat. Just like Wal-Mart. Please go away next year so we can work for our candy and branch out in the neighborhood!
Here's some more Halloween Highlights:
Please enjoy the following picture of my oldest wisest brother Derek. Derek and Keri pull off an amazing Halloween party every year, and here's the bro dressed up as a b-baller. The top picture is of him trying to light the outdoor heater. Yes, I said light. As in fire. And he's wearing a gigantic wick on the top of his head.
My bro has been asked several times what his ethnic background is. I'm hoping next year he'll grow a beard and wear a turban and see how long he can wander through posh neighborhoods before someone calls the FAA.
And for anyone else pining for Old School Halloween, enjoy my favorite Seinfeld act ever! This is sooo my childhood. I heart it.
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3 comments:
This brought back many great memories. I think I love Halloween as much as you do.
When trunk or treat is on Halloween night, we've chosen to go with the neighborhood. But this year, they trt'd on Sunday, so we did trunk or treat at the church, and it was just what you said: efficient, safe and fun. I missed seeing the parents of all the kids' friends, though. It's the best neighborhood activity we know of. But we're the only Mormons in the neighborhood, so nobody cares what we do;)
Derek cracks. me. up.
And your family is super cute. Even if I do dislike Halloween.
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