Err... Halloween?

Hangin' with Dad

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday, and to be honest, I could even go as far as to say I do NOT like Halloween.  I think the kids in costumes are precious but I, myself, have never found joy dressing up.  It's not that I have anything against costumes.  Those that know me or have seen any pictures on Facebook know that I have made an outfit to wear for almost every holiday, and, LUCKY FOR AUDREY, I usually make her one to match.  It's that come October my mind is always focused on my FAVORITE holiday, Christmas, and I can't justify spending the money on an actual good costume and I am terrible at finding ways to create my own (probably because I put Halloween off my radar for as long as possible).  It might come as a complete shock how much I dislike Halloween since it does revolve around one of my favorite things in life.... CANDY!  Here are a few reasons why Halloween has become my least favorite holiday during the holiday season.

1. Halloween is the first holiday we celebrate at school and it revolves around candy, staying up late, and getting 20 + kids in a costume.  The first holiday party is always a stress because it sets the tone for the rest of the year's holiday parties.  A well behaved and respectful class can turn from good to terrible in the blink of an eye when sweets are involved.  Plus, everyone is suguared up and tired for the rest of the week, including the teachers, which is recipe for disaster!  The upside is that the students usually bring me CANDY the next day and their costumes are a hoot! 

2. For 350 days of the school year I can have a candy bowl full of sweets and restrain myself.  I eat candy here and there but it's never a big deal.  For the two weeks leading up the Halloween self-control goes out the window and I eat more candy than I care to admit.  This means that all the exercise I do during the week goes completely to waste since it's not possible to burn the calories I consume in a day.  This, combined with having to run on the treadmill because of the shorter days, means the waste bands in my pants always get a little snug.

3. When I was pregnant with Audrey I dressed up as a rock (Second Grade Rocks! of course).  In the middle of the party I thought I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion and ripped that costume off.  Now I associate dressing up with heat stroke!

4. In college I volunteered for a girl scout troupe and they had a Halloween party in the woods.  Everyone was supposed to wear costumes, SO I THOUGHT, but turns out I was the only on in a costume, in the woods, with people I had never met before.  So I was that person.  The creeper in a costume.  To top it off I got lost finding my way home from said party in the woods and ended up at a dead end  at a trailer park next to a VERY big and not so friendly looking dog.  I called my friends (who were having an actual fun Halloween party, sans-costumes) and they had to direct me home (this was before GPS...I know, shocking right?)  They had to use and actual MAP, and they had partaken in a few beverages so getting home proved to be a big adventure. 

This year our family has had the opportunity to attend some Halloween parties.  We went to a party at the school and a party at a friends house.  And though it pains me to say this, I was actually looking forward to both parties.  I love to go to activities at school and seeing the kids and their families having a good time.  It's so fun to see them outside of a classroom in a fun environment.  Audrey had SO much fun just running around feeling like she was one of the big kids.  She loves her costume and she loves just being around other kids.

We also went to a party at a friends house with some of the other Range View babies.  They looked ADORABLE in their Halloween garb and I always enjoy seeing my friends outside of our working environment. 

So, when all is said and done, having a little girl in a ladybug costume has removed my bah-humbug feelings about Halloween and replaced them with feelings of anticipation and enjoyment!  I'm still counting the days till Christmas, and will probably not be the first to dress up in an amazing costume (as a side note, I've NEVER seen Scott in a costume.  Seems we have had an unspoken bond all this time and I never realized it!), but I will still look forward to seeing the kids in their costumes, I will still eat my weight in candy, and I will love watching Audrey say "Trick-or-Treat" and helping her pick out the candy I want to gorge myself with after she goes to bed.

Notice my costume - I'm a cow girl. 

P.S.  Don't let my inability to find a good costume ruin your fun.  I love seeing how creative others can be and find lots of enjoyment seeing other people enjoying the holiday.