Halloween 2021

Halloween looked a bit different for our family this year. We had one child (Austen) age out of trick or treating so he handed out candy to the kids for most of the evening. (It was the first time we didn't have to leave a bowl out front since we moved in 7 Halloweens ago.) He did have a party to go to though so he quickly handed over his responsibilities to Hailey who wasn't thrilled at first about doing his job but soon got into it and loved it. Of course this was after she returned home (and was tired of trick or treating). 

Hailey decided to be a fox this year as it's her favorite animal. We were only too happy to accommodate her choice since Peyton already had this costume so we didn't even need to order something new for her. Anyway, she started out with a party with a lot of her 2nd grade friends in a different neighborhood. They had firetrucks leading a whole bunch of kids in costume around the neighborhood. Somewhere in all of this chaos, we lost sight of Hailey who felt very comfortable in this new neighborhood taking off and trick or treating with her friends without so much as a thought about where her parents were (drinking and walking slow with a bunch of other parents). Um, yeah, she's 8. Not until 5th grade is she going to be able to trick or treat without us. Of course since she was our third born we didn't panic too much like another mom of a first born whose daughter was with her. We eventually located her and went back to our street where she was able to trick or treat with another friend and see many more of her friends up and down the street. She did want to call it quits at the end of our long block but we made her suck it up and trick or treat home so she wouldn't leave her friend hanging. 

On the other hand, Peyton would be gone for hours trick or treating. She left at 3pm and came home at 8:30pm. Not all trick or treating time but hanging out and eating time too. Peyton has been planning Halloween for several months now. Her plan and costume changed weekly. Finally, she settled on going with a set group of friends (the dilemma of which friends to go with was real) and them all dressing the same (M&Ms). She was out early and came back to her friend's house for a break and pizza and then back out again. I think she raked in about 20 pounds of candy (and I'm not kidding as one of her friend's weighed their bag and it was 20 pounds!). 

Tom and I enjoyed the rather low key night as we were out at 2:45pm and home by 5:15pm. Only two more years and we can enjoy Halloween from our driveway just handing out the candy and not trailing a little kid!