As a young child, I loved Halloween. I loved planning my costume and getting dressed up. I loved wearing my costume everywhere: to school, for trick-or-treating and even in ballet class. I loved trick-or-treating and of course the candy. I loved spending time with my family and relished the opportunity to hang out with my cousins.
But as I grew older, Halloween became less of a “thing” for me. I don’t even remember what my costume(s) were in high school (I had a Renaissance maiden costume…) I don’t remember going to parties or dressing up for school (or ballet class). I think I continued to trick-or-treat with my cousins (who are 5 and 10 years younger than me). But I really don’t remember.
In college I don’t think I went to a single Halloween party or ever had a Halloween costume. Our fall dance concert was always in mid-November and I was always engrossed in the chaos and excitement of that. Or maybe I wasn’t cool enough to get invited?
After college, when hubby and I set out on our own and became real adults, Halloween was just another day. Our first year out of college, I was home alone Halloween night because hubby had class. I went to ballet class then came home and made a cup-o-soup. Which I spilled on my hand when I took it out of the microwave and spent the rest of the night on the couch, in the dark (I didn’t want trick-or-treaters coming to the door) with an aloe soaked paper towel on my horribly burned hand.
It wasn’t until I became a mommy that my love of Halloween was rekindled. I had a costume for the first time as an adult when Honeybun was a baby. And while we didn’t get trick-or-treaters at our original Florida house or our Dublin house, I still made sure the girls had costumes and that we did something to celebrate (parties, community events, etc.)
Our kids went trick-or-treating for the first time last year and while I didn’t have an official costume, I did proudly sport my sweet little Doodle spider.
Since returning to Florida, we’ve slowly built up our Halloween decorations and now decorate both inside and out (though I don’t go over the top).
I like having something to celebrate and the build up to the holiday. I love seeing my children get excited about their costumes and dressing up. And I love that the past two years they’ve gotten to share it with our extended family as well. I love that my childhood tradition of making Halloween a family holiday is continuing for my children and I hope that it stays that way.
I’ll take any opportunity I can to spend time with our family!
