I have finally calmed down enough - and have time, once again - to do my Halloween post. I actually had one ready to go Friday. It took forever, what with dealing with the puppy, finding pictures and layouts to go with the post, and editing photos. When Bethany came home, I handed her the puppy and got serious about my blogging work!
Now, I was a tad unhappy, as Tim was having to work late Friday night. He said it had to do with the time change. I pointed out that these people have gone through time changes quite a few times over the last 10 years. Somebody, take notes! And it was Halloween, for crying out loud! What about the people with little kids?! Anyway, I only ranted and raved at Tim about the whole thing a time or two. I mean, it wasn't doing any good.
So, Bethany was puppysitting, Tim was at work, Brett had gone somewhere, and I was finishing up my Halloween post. I had reminisced, placed layouts and photos where they belonged, and was just going back through and editing/proofreading. Tim called to say that Bethany's friend, Wesley (who took her to Homecoming last week - I still have to blog about that!), was going to come over about 8:00, dressed in a cape with a bag over his head, to trick Bethany. So, have the camera ready! Well, I thought that would be a bit entertaining. Tim called later and said, "Wesley's going to be there in two minutes. Make sure Bethany answers the door!" I went to check on her. She wasn't doing anything, so, cool.
A couple of minutes later, the doorbell rang. Bethany picked up the bowl of candy and went to the door. I grabbed the camera. Bethany smiled at me and opened the door. I was afraid I had given things away - I mean, why would I suddenly have the camera? Back to the door opening. There was Tim standing behind disguised Wesley. That was weird. Oh! It's just after 8, and Tim had said he'd have to work until 8 or 9. Wesley says, "Trick or treat." Bethany lunges at him and snatches the bag off of his head. She jumps into his arms. Only it's not Wesley, it's Evan. I'm standing there, totally confused, missing every photographic opportunity. Which meant we had to do a reenactment. Oh, well!
As it turned out, Tim had told Bethany that he, Tim, was going to trick me. It would be Tim in the cape with the bag over his head, trying to make me laugh after being upset for his having to work late. I still haven't asked Bethany what she thought when she saw Tim standing behind the person in costume. Who did she think was under the bag? I'll have to ask.
So, anyway, we came in, ate dinner, and started watching the Kings being humiliated on TV. At some point, I remembered my blog - I wanted my Halloween post posted on October 31. I hit "save," and Firefox crashed. I'm not going to get started on my total disgust with Firefox, but ever since their big upgrade/update/whatever, Firefox has behaved absolutely horribly!!! Well! My post was not saved - it was just lost. That made me so mad, I couldn't even think about computers the rest of the weekend. And, I wanted to spend the weekend with Evan. What a fantastic birthday surprise!!!
Before anyone says anything, yes, I realize I should have been hitting "save" throughout the day - thank you!
So, here's what I had planned for Halloween, sort of (it's so not the same thing as trying to replicate spontaneous thoughts!):
The Early Years
Every Halloween, whilst living in Kansas City and Shawnee, my parents would take me (and my 
brothers, after they came along) trick-or-treating to the relatives' homes. I would get a little bit of candy, my dad would then confiscate any chewy or hard candies, and I could have what little was left. He was very concerned about teeth/cavities being pulled out by the chewy candy and choking on the hard candies. (Years later, as an older youth, and then as an adult, I would pray for safety as I ate chewy or hard candies.) When we moved to Haysville, there were no relatives, so we went to church members' homes. Same thing - not a lot of candy, but it still had to be examined before we could eat any of it.
We had some fun Halloween parties at church during the Shawnee/Haysville years. I remember one in Shawnee at my school, Greenwood Elementary. There was a skit onstage. I was about 5 or 6. My dad was on an operating table having an operation. At the point they were cutting him open, I became quite upset. That wasn't fun, but it's the only negative memory I have - the rest was all very good.
In Haysville, my mom did a skit at one Halloween party. Men kept coming to call on her. She'd cover the current man up with a sheet when the next man knocked on the door, so that they all looked pieces of furniture in a living room. It was pretty funny. In fact, I think they did the one with dad on the operating table, too, when I was several years older there in Haysville. Only, I was probably cheering when they cut into him. Kidding:)
The Teenage Years
Campus Life sponsored haunted houses around the country called "Scream in the Dark." Campus Life would rent old houses in different towns, turn the whole thing into a haunted house, hire (I don't know if the "actors" were paid or not) people to play the parts, etc. I'd read about this and had seen pictures for a few years and always wanted to go to the one in Wichita. One year, my friend, Tina, asked me to go with her and her youth group.
It was fantastic! I've been to many haunted houses, and "A Scream in the Dark" was, by far, the best.
The Parenting Years
For the first few years of their lives, Evan and Brett had costumes made by Grandmother. They were so cute! Evan really enjoyed the whole dressing up thing, but Brett simply hated it. *sigh* I did try. Now, by this, time, it had become a sin to do Halloween at church. So the kids went to our church's Harvest Festival after they went trick-or-treating. I examined their candy, too, but they had quite a bit more to start out with. I wonder if they grew up with chewy/hard candy phobias.
We had the same routine when Bethany came along. Her fifth Halloween was our
first in San Pedro, CA. I have never seen anything like that year's trick-or treating experience. Any direction you looked, you would see nearly a hundred people going door to door. It was crazy! After moving up here, however, well...for instance, this year we had two kids. Usually, we have four or five! In years past, Bethany would get together with friends from school and go trick-or-treating. Tim and I would have "Taco Soup," hot chocolate, a fire in the fireplace, and hand out the treats. Sometimes I played spooky music, but it's been a few years since I last saw the CD.
This Halloween was the first year Bethany didn't have a costume or go trick-or-treating. Makes me sad. I was sad when the boys stopped, too, but the weirdest thing has happened. Brett, the boy who always hated costumes, suddenly started dressing up and going to Halloween parties a few years ago. It's a shame, really. In nearly all of his little boy Halloween photos, he's either crying or on the verge of crying. Many years he refused to wear a costume at all. So, anyway, Bethany may only have taken this year off.
Well, this was my Halloween post. I wish I could have remembered how I wrote things in the original one - it was much more clever and funny. Don't forget, click on the photos for a larger view.
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