Vicarious Halloween
Jaime is away in France during her most anticipated holiday of the year and I am posting this for her benefit.
Joslyn left her wig and hat to her costume at school, which is an improvement over last year wherein she left her entire costume at school, and we had to improvise on game day. That stunt earned for her the hot displeasure of her mother and the curse that she would "just have to wear the same costume next year". That is a punishment, I learned, which is akin to wearing the same dress to consecutive school dances (This is also a punishment rather than the apparent blessing of not having to shop for another dress, incur additional expense or experience the dissatisfaction of changing dress sizes. Its a rather impractical mindset I know, but ask your wife she'll confirm it). Perhaps Mom's ire will be tempered by Dad's indifference through whom she will be made aware of the grievous infraction. She compensated for her forgetfulness by coloring her hair haphazardly, or least deliberately non-uniformly, at her friend Madilyn's home. Her recently lost front teeth were a wonderful addition to her appearance.
Caleb fought to not have to dress as "Buzz Light" but, having apprehended that candy was to be had only in character, became readily compliant. No sooner had he completed his transformation than the forces of good and evil gave forum to settle the age old question: who really would win in a battle between Buzz Lightyear and Megatron. In the end a truce was called as both parties realized that their energies were better spent accumulating energy units. They joined forces and embarked on a daring journey through the neighborhood seeking their plunder, which promised to be so rich that the mere anticipation of it brought peels of laughter to their throats and a glint to their eyes.
The kids were well behaved and enjoyed the experience as well as the bounty, and at the end of the night after all of them returned I took them up the street to the Winsteads home. I was happy to both be able to distribute candy to trick-or-treaters and follow the kids to a couple of doors. They were so well behaved that perhaps a reward would be appropriate, but how does one compete with Halloween? Beside my reward may be the same as Jaime's punishment and lead to all sorts of Halloween confusion.
Joslyn left her wig and hat to her costume at school, which is an improvement over last year wherein she left her entire costume at school, and we had to improvise on game day. That stunt earned for her the hot displeasure of her mother and the curse that she would "just have to wear the same costume next year". That is a punishment, I learned, which is akin to wearing the same dress to consecutive school dances (This is also a punishment rather than the apparent blessing of not having to shop for another dress, incur additional expense or experience the dissatisfaction of changing dress sizes. Its a rather impractical mindset I know, but ask your wife she'll confirm it). Perhaps Mom's ire will be tempered by Dad's indifference through whom she will be made aware of the grievous infraction. She compensated for her forgetfulness by coloring her hair haphazardly, or least deliberately non-uniformly, at her friend Madilyn's home. Her recently lost front teeth were a wonderful addition to her appearance.
Caleb fought to not have to dress as "Buzz Light" but, having apprehended that candy was to be had only in character, became readily compliant. No sooner had he completed his transformation than the forces of good and evil gave forum to settle the age old question: who really would win in a battle between Buzz Lightyear and Megatron. In the end a truce was called as both parties realized that their energies were better spent accumulating energy units. They joined forces and embarked on a daring journey through the neighborhood seeking their plunder, which promised to be so rich that the mere anticipation of it brought peels of laughter to their throats and a glint to their eyes.
The kids were well behaved and enjoyed the experience as well as the bounty, and at the end of the night after all of them returned I took them up the street to the Winsteads home. I was happy to both be able to distribute candy to trick-or-treaters and follow the kids to a couple of doors. They were so well behaved that perhaps a reward would be appropriate, but how does one compete with Halloween? Beside my reward may be the same as Jaime's punishment and lead to all sorts of Halloween confusion.
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