Tricks and treats

Believe it or not, one of my early thoughts regarding the move back to Winfield was about what it would mean to Su on Halloween. In Geneva's Randall Square area -- the land of track housing -- pulling in a ton of candy is almost a certainty. Houses are close together and it only takes a walk around a couple of blocks to pull in enough candy to ensure that current students in dental school will have jobs waiting for them when their studies are done.

Winfield, in past years, produced far fewer young ones in costumes parading up and down the streets. Houses are further apart. Most of the south side of the neighborhood lacks any sidewalks, and only a few corner streetlights to light the way. Some years were lucky to produce maybe 15-20 kids at the door. You could peer through the front window into the streets and see the dark shadows lurking, but not many ventured to the door, with parents preferring to stick with familiar houses.

Our current address places us in one of the most remote areas of the village. It takes a lot of work to find us -- and many might not find the journey much of a payoff in candy loot. And such was indeed the case for our home this year. We produced a total of 10 kids at the door. Seven arrived in one group, two came from next door, and then there was one other brave child, willing to ring the bell, set off the ferocious bark of Max, retrieve his treats, and head off into the darkness.

Su and I, on the other hand, did surprisingly well. With a tip from a neighbor, we picked the perfect direction to head out. Houses were far apart and there were many hill to climb, but Su was more than up to the challenge. Running from house to house, she trampled through leaves, hopped over ditches, climbed up and over rocks, and really worked hard for her treats. And houses were very much in the giving mood. It wasn't long before I was carrying the overflow of candy to lighten Su's load. The evening was topped off with one house that was grilling up hot dogs for the kids. Yep, the grill was out in the driveway, condiments and juice available, and picnic benches to rest weary legs. Of course Su said yes to a hot dog fresh off the grill.

So, with me now carrying two bags of candy, the juice, napkins, and the flashlight, Su chomped down her dog as we headed back home. A fitting conclusion to a fun-filled night of treats.

Trick or treat, smell my...

Of the many changes that take place with parenting, Halloween tradition is probably one of the more fascinating. It seems like 20 or more years go by with little interest in the day -- aside from remembering each year that you need to stock up on some candy -- and all of a sudden you're thrust into the middle of it all, courtesy of a 5-year old.

Truth is that, aside from a few parties attended as adults, there really wasn't much to take from it all. But having a little one anxiously awaiting costumes, candy, and school parties makes it all too easy to start to share in the enthusiasm. Whether it's shopping for a costume, decorating the house, or watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" for the first time since childhood (does anybody really understand why half of that show was filled with Snoopy in his "flying ace" segment?), I found myself actually enjoying some of the circus environment.

And so, on this particular day, I had the good fortune of setting up some "work at home" time, allowing me to actually participate in Su's good fun. Her elementary school had their Halloween parade outdoors around the school. All grades participate and family can show up outside to watch it go by. Anita and I took a small break from the day to go see. Su was all smiles, waving to the crowd -- even before she knew we were there. Obviously, she's not shy in public! Once they turned the corner and headed back to the school, the show was essentially over and we headed back home.

After a few more hours of work, I shut down and helped get Su prepped for the afternoon of walking the neighborhood. The two of us spent almost 1-1/2 hours on foot. Early on, she was running from door to door, at one point exclaiming (arms raised into the air), "This is the best Halloween ever!" Of course, her long history gives her quite a reference point. :-) Still, it was fun to hear her enthusiasm. She was loud. She was polite. And eventually she was... TIRED.

Yep, a mere 15 minutes after her declaration of joy, the feet were dragging, the bag of candy was dragging, and her eyes were displaying none of the glee from the other side of the street. I transferred the weight of her bag into the bag I was carrying (always good planning to help lighten her load) and encouraged her to complete the final strip of homes. Hey, we were heading that way anyway, right?

Overall, she had such a great time. Her costume was falling apart the whole way and the strong winds made it impossible to keep her hat on. But we both had a blast. She made a killing on the candy and saw so many of her friends along the route (amazing how many friends a 5-year old can have this early into the school year).

Once home, we dined on some Indian food, shared a few choice wrapped goodies, and Su soon faded and actually asked to go to bed -- almost an hour early!