Boo!!!

It’s so cool when the kids finally get into Halloween. Last year was Willa’s first and the first that Lyda understood what was going on -- sort of.

Early in the evening we were making the final adjustments to her kite costume (see entry below) and getting ready to head out for some trick-or-treating. Lyda ran back into her room and came out with a dollar that she’d fished out of her piggy bank. She held it up to me rather importantly.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“It’s for the candy.”

When she got a puzzled look from her mother and me, she added, “We need some money to buy candy from the neighbors.”

After some suppressed giggles, we explained how trick-or-treating works.

“You mean they give it to us for FREE!!??” she squealed. She was sooooo pumped.

We met her friends on the sidewalk and started ringing door bells on the block. After a handful of houses, Lyda said, “My legs are getting tired. How many more houses do we have to go to?”

Then after a couple of more houses she said something that is music to the ears of a sugar-wary parent like me, “Look at all this candy. There is way too much for me.” Realizing that’s something we will never here again as parents, Jeni and I took advantage of the moment and marched merrily back up the hill toward home.

Everyone was happy. Lyda had a whopping nine houses-worth of candy (that lasted about three months!!) and we were thrilled that she was thrilled. I love those rare moments when everyone wins.

Here is Cinderella and her sidekick Bop Bop Dinosaur. Happy Halloween!!