Halloween Confessions....

Every year Halloween comes around and I try to get excited.  

I try to plan some fun craft with the kids, like our glowing ghosts last year...

 and the stand up ghost this year.

I pull out the window decorations, throw a few things around, pull stuff together for the girls costumes, etc., etc.

But the truth is....

I'm not a Halloween fan.

At. All.

I don't like carving pumpkins (it's slimy and gross and I'm not very good at it).

I don't like stressing over the girls costumes - both for school and trick or treating.

I don't like having all that candy in my house.

I don't like haunted houses.

I don't like to be scared.

I don't have good memories from Halloween.

I don't have bad ones either.

It's just one of those holidays that was never really on my radar.

I enjoy standing at the door and giving out candy and maybe decorating for kids in the neighborhood.  But since we don't have trick or treaters where we are, it's kind of pointless.

I know that the girls will be too grown up for trick or treating in a few years (or at the very least, too grown up for their mom to walk with them).

And while this makes me sad, I'm also secretly (or not so secretly now) relieved.

WHEW!!

Now that I have that off my chest, here's the 2011 Halloween rundown....

Last night we went to a friends neighborhood, where we've gone every year since we moved to this house.  It's really a great place - lots of kids - lots of haunted "houses" (ie, garages and yards) lots of people and a ton of candy.

Sydney's costume caused her some embarrassment at school, but WOW was it a hit last night!  Everyone in the neighborhood was talking about her and I'm pretty sure she got extra candy from some people. 

We seriously almost had a last minute "find another costume" crisis, because she was NOT happy about wearing this again.

(Please note this costume was NOT my idea.  Although I liked it - I thought it was cute and original.  And free)

In the end she decided to just go with it and was pretty happy she did by the end of the night.

Olivia decided she was too old to dress up.

I kid, I kid.  She was a nerd - with chicken pox. (Actually they were supposed to be pimples, but everyone thought they were chicken pox.  She was a little heavy handed with the lipstick)

So there you have it.

Now you know how I really feel about Halloween.

(and no, my kids don't know how I feel - they think I love it - I don't want to take anything away from it for their sake).

I'm more of a family holiday kinda girl - BRING ON THANKSGIVING!!!