Saturday, October 29, 2005

Trunk or Treat

Last night we went to our Ward "Trunk or Treat". A Trunk or Treat is where everyone comes to the church parking lot with the trunks of their cars all decorated. Then the kids all dressed up in their costumes go trick or treating at every car in the parking lot. After the Trunk or Treat then you go inside for the kids carnival. Theres a cake walk, a football toss, a fishing pond, face-painting, a bean bag throw all kinds of fun little games for all the little kids.

I think it was originally created as a way for parents to feel more comfortable about their kids trick or treating. I remember the first year it started when I was a little kid. Parents were worried about the strangers doors the kids were knocking on, who knows if they are a child molester. Plus they worried about what their might be getting along with their candy. At that time there was a big fear of finding razor blades in apples, or drugs in the candy. I remember every year after trick or treating my parents going through and inspect every piece of candy to check to see if it had been altered in any way. Anything questionable, i.e. package open or not perfectly wrapped, or apples or candy popcorn balls, all got thrown away. I think most parents breathed a sigh of relief when the church introduced Trunk or Treat as an alternative to regular Trick or Treating. Everyone always invites their friends or neighbors to come as well. That way if they don't want to go out and deal with all the stranger's behind their doors they don't have to worry either, or they can just go trick or treating twice!

This is the first time since in our marriage or since my son was born that we have gotten dressed up and gone to Trunk or Treat. Last year we were planning on going. We even had this really cute ladybug bunting for my daughter. But we had just gotten back from our (the kids and I) trip to Washington, and had come back with a cold. The ladybug costume didn't even come out of the package. The year before, my son was only 11 months and my parents were in town, and I think he was sick then too. The year before that he was in my tummy. This year they had colds too, but they were pretty much over them by last night. The ladybug costume got used by someone else on their baby girl. Seeing the baby made me sad that my daughter never got to use it. It was so cute!

This year I was determined to go. I had borrowed a BYU cheerleader costume from someone else, and was desparately trying to figure out what my son was going to be. My husband has never been as enthusiastic about holidays or special events as I have. I told him all I wished was that he would love halloween and get as excited about it as I do. He told me, "you'll just have to be excited about it by yourself." But lucky for me there was a different plan in the works.

Wednesday night he got a phone call asking him to help out with one of the booths at the carnival. He hangs up the phone and says "'D', what can I dress up as?". I looked him square in the eye and said "You're springing this on me the night before?!?" But I quickly came up with something.

I told him he should put on his tux, but look really sloppy. Make him look kinda ghostly, or skeleton like and if people ask him who he is he can say he's "Mozarts Ghost".

If you're wondering, he has a tux hanging in the closet on a regular basis. He has always been a part of an Orchestra were a tux was required. Now he's part of a String Quartet that plays at weddings and things.

I decided I would dress up as a "Make-Believe Stay at Home Mom." In my p.j's with my robe, my hair and make up are all done up. I have my t.v. remote and my Soap Opera Digest, and my box of Bon-Bon's.

Last year while we were in Washington I had called home and asked my husband to go to Goodwill and get a pair of Overalls for my son's costume. I wanted him to be a farmer. When I got back I discovered he had actually purchased a way too big pair of overall shorts (shortalls). In desparation this year I decided he would be a "Rodeo Clown." Isn't he the cutest Rodeo Clown you've ever seen?

This is the "BYU Cheerleader" costume I had borrowed from someone else. She had some little pom-poms as well but she could never keep hold of them. The way she looks as a cheerleader as a 15 month old there's no way I'm stopping her if she wants to be a cheerleader in High School. She's dang cute.

I love seeing families running with a theme for their costumes. I've never been one to do that, but I definitely think its cute. Who knows maybe I will do it sometime in the future. One family went with a Peter Pan theme. The mom was "Wendy", her two older sons were "Peter Pan" and "Capt'n Hook", and her two younger daughters were "Tinkerbell" and "Princess Tigerlily". Another family had some very creative costumes. The dad was "The Jolly Green Giant", and their 20 month old son was "Sprout". The 4 month old baby was a "loufa" with rope to hang dry and everything, and the mom was "ready to take a bath". She had a robe on, a shower cap on her head, a rubber ducky under her belt and of course her "loufa". The cutest!

We get so much candy, and its such a great experience we are not planning on going out Monday night on Halloween. We have no problem handing out candy to those kids that do knock on our door. We already had our Halloween. We went "Trunk or Treating"!

Posted by ABQ Mom :: 10/29/2005 09:18:00 AM :: 5 Comments:

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