Growing up I loved Halloween. I usually wore some store bought costume with the plastic mask that made it impossible to breathe or see and headed out on a quest to collect as much candy as I could. Where I grew up, Trick or Treating was always the last Friday night of October, which was great because I loved getting up on Saturday morning not having to worry about going to school, dumping all of my Halloween candy on the floor, which I would devour piece by piece, and watching Looney Tunes and Smurfs cartoons.
But as I got older I stopped dressing up. I avoided costume parties throughout my adulthood believing I was too old to play dress-up.
Then I had kids. And slowly over the course of the last 8 years I have once again embraced the fun & fantasy that Halloween brings. I start early decorating the house. I own more Halloween decor than I do Christmas - and each year the display gets bigger!
A graveyard of ghosts welcomes visitors outside the home....
A pair of mummies greet our guests inside the front door and our buddy "Skell" hangs out watching tv with us every night. At first I told myself it was for the kids. But I realize that with each year, I anticipate Halloween as much as they do.
Usually we dress up as a family: one year Ghostbusters, another year Top Gun, with the occasional Star Wars, Harley Davidson or Minecraft character thrown into the mix.
This year, sadly, I am working the night of Trick or Treat and won't be dressing up... BOO! While it bums me out, I am already looking forward to next year... and with a year to think about it, I hope it will be the best Halloween yet! I have just gotta’ make sure to ask my boss for the night off! Lol.
Happy Halloween!
-Stacey