Happy Halloween
I thought I would do a bonus post with my daughter's pumpkins displayed, oldest on the left, youngest on the right. I do the knife work but they do all the gutting and design work, drawing their faces on with erasable markers.
Halloween for us has always been a simple holiday. When I was young, we carved pumpkins and our mom would drive us around to a few of the neighboring farms but we never got bags full of candy like our urban peers did. I seem to recall the occasional Halloween party where we had to bob for apples but those were few and far between.
Likewise, with my kids, we keep things simple. We take them to a dozen or so houses in our immediate neighborhood on the edge of town where traffic is always very light and call it a day. Unlike me, my girls rarely eat much of their holiday candy. They will eat some on that first night and then generally I will throw the rest away in a month after picking out a few for myself.
My eldest stopped going door to door with her younger sister several years ago, instead preferring to be dropped off at a friends house to watch a movie and bake brownies or something similar. This year she has her own vehicle and is driving so I don't even have to do that. The youngest though still wanted to go out this year so I'll take her around. I suspect this might be the last time and then she too will prefer to do other things, but I'll leave that up to her.
The pumpkins are the sole decorations we put out. Other than the strand of lights we hang off our roof eaves for Christmas, we don't do any other sort of holiday decorations. I like keeping it simple and focusing on family over outside appearance.
That sounds like a perfect Halloween and just like the ones we had with our daughters.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I live in an older neighborhood where all the neighbors are probably well into their 70's. This means we aren't guilted into doing anything just to keep up with our neighbors.
DeleteI loved Halloween when my children were growing up. It was always fun in the neighborhoods we lived in and not overdone. It's still pretty simple in our neighborhood, but Wife and I usually opt out and go out to dinner with friends. Not the same without our own little ones around. We'll enjoy seeing pictures of the grands.
ReplyDeleteI like that! Sounds much better than hiding in the back of the house to make sure nobody mistakes us for being home. I would bet the restaurants are fairly quiet on that particular day and time too.
DeleteI am bah humbug about most holidays. In the past, with 4 kids, I had to get into gear and do my part as mother in charge and join the parties and hoopla. I would rather hide in the back of the house but yesterday I ended up buying bags of candy to pass out to groups of strangers with kids dressed in their costumes tonight - because the next phase of parenting has kicked in with my 3 year old grandson who delights in all the hype of special occasions.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to that intermission between kids and grandkids!
DeleteGood job on the pumpkins by both of the girls! Halloween was an entirely different experience for me as a child versus that of my children. And it's different from either for my grandchildren. I still love seeing the decorations.
ReplyDeleteAnymore, carving pumpkins seems to be a dying thing. I see lots of plastic pumpkins with battery operated lights these days.
DeleteWe do tend to lose our jobs. I have been helping the grands get around to their jobs etc, but Dani is learning to drive and even has her own car already (from her other late grandmother).They won't need me much longer, but I am starting to need them. 😎
ReplyDeleteThe circle of life.
DeleteHappy Halloween, Ed! Keeping it simple sounds perfect. The pumpkins look marvelous by the way.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Shife!
DeleteThis is the first year we did no decorating at all. Not even one pumpkin.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that when my youngest leaves, we will do the same.
Deletebake brownies or something similar. ..... I think that is a better option.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest usually does that with her friends, that or order pizza and watch a scary movie.
DeleteI hung out one sign...that is the extent of the Halloween Decorations:)
ReplyDeleteThere were no trick or treaters this year. Art was quite disappointed. We thought we'd at least see our neighbors' children. However, our town had a huge party for all the youngsters and that's where they all went. I guess it was safer than going door to door. My granddaughter drives now too and hasn't done trick or treating in a long while. Sigh...
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