I'm a Halloweenie!!

Halloween is unlike any other holiday. Most of the time, people have a love or hate relationship with the dark October day. It's hard enough explaining to young children about Christmas or Easter, but the Day of the Dead. Yeah, think I'll leave out that part. Seriously, whoever invented this day of the dead that would scare the pee out of children and then overdose them on sugar and garbage needs to be punched square in the face. Ok...I digress. :)

Personally, I hate the holiday.  Anything that is remotely scary or paranormalish drives me crazy.  I can't even look in the mirror at night when using the restroom, because of the preview of Paranormal Activity 3.  Yes, that is only from seeing the preview.  The Ring scared me so badly after I saw the distorted face in the closet that I watched the rest of the movie while covering my eyes.  Don't even get me started on the bathtub lady in The Shining.  Either way, I'm a big weenie with scary stuff.  I'm only in this for my kids... (I hope they know how much I love them!)

I have two reasons why, as a parent, I am on the fence of even tolerating this ghoulish holiday. First of all I want to avoid the sugar-high that will ultimately leave the children (and myself) in a horrible tearful meltdown annual candy overload experience. I have yet to meet a parent that looks forward to the belly aching and bouncing off the walls that usually accompanies a child eating their own body weight in candy. That I can completely do without.

Next is the constant want, need, and physical dependence on wearing their Halloween costume for the several weeks before and after the actual holiday. Once I got over the stares and snickers from other people (most who are probably parents thankful they no longer have to do this with their children). I actually found out that this could be made into a positive experience for everyone. Since I have already gone shopping with Spiderman many times this year, whenever he starts to act out, I ask him if that is how Spiderman, the superhero who helps everyone, is supposed to act. I quickly get a nice well behaved Spiderman again. Hmm...wonder how long that costume will hold together?

Either way, I'm in it for the long-haul since my kids are little. I have some cute craft ideas coming up for easy Halloween fun for the young and old.  In the meantime, comment below and let me know what movie scared you the most or if you are untouchable when it comes to scary stuff.

Yours in Halloween spirit (sort of),

Leslie Marin
The Pioneer Mom

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