Burl's First Halloween

No one has ever filled me in on trick-or-treating with kids: it's awesome.  Tonight was Burl's first night hitting the neighborhood for candy.  I was not raised on store bought costumes, so I'm not about to start now.  It's homemade or nothing.  Instead of staying up all night Halloween eve sewing fancy costumes like my mom did, I went with Burl's outfit that he wears everyday.  It's his farmer look.  Seriously, Burl dresses up for farm work everyday.  

There is always a holdup with the pant legs.  I spent a while trying to figure out exactly what he wanted.  I'm not sure what it was, but the picture above is our compromise.  What's Halloween without a little wardrobe crisis and a few tears?

Burl was all about the suckers.  The candy was ok, but the suckers!  Oh my!  He wanted to stop and eat them every time he got one.  I fought him on this one until I realized I was picking the wrong battle, so I just indulged him.  

When we returned home (to Fern and John who stayed and passed out candy), we did what we all did as kids: surveyed the loot.  Burl pretty much stuck straight to suckers.  He was downing them one after another while trick or treaters were knocking at the door.  He kept getting up and down, so excited about "more people" at the door.  Meanwhile, John and I are trying to chase the sticky goo wherever he takes it.  

Fern bit into her first candy, a smartie, and was in love.  Sweet heavens to betsy, this girl loves her sugar.  One little hit of sweetness and Fern was frantic.  She didn't know what to do: eat what she could or hoard a little pile to herself.  She was putting everything in her mouth, be it wrapped candy, candy pieces, or candy wrappers.  She wanted it all.  

After a little bit, I just had to sneak her off to be nursed and go to bed.  When I picked her up, it was like I broke her heart.  We had to walk past the candy and she just looked at it on the floor and wept.  She was not done.  

We hurried this part along because we are selfish and Survivor comes on at 8 and that is our show!  We felt bad, but not bad enough to change our minds.  We got them to bed, which was easier than I thought after all that candy, and plopped down for our show.

During the commercials, I filled John in on everything he missed.  Neighbors I met, Burl's new love for suckers, funny stories from all the families.  This is a tradition that I'm sure we'll continue.  Halloween, it is so much fun.