That is, until they complain that the collar of their dress is too scratchy, or they put a hole in the knee of their freshly pressed dress pants, or spit up all over their bow-tie right before pictures or refuse to wear that adorable costume.
Life with kids is anything but predictable. Sometimes special occasions are a total let-down. My own family never had a holiday picture until this one. We didn't even celebrate Halloween the first two years.
The first year we had kids - our twins Joey and Slim - we were living on Long Island far away from friends and family. Hubby was on call in the Bronx that night, so I was home alone with the boys. I didn't buy them costumes because, well, who was going to see them? I did outfit them in cute Halloween shirts from Old Navy, secured a huge bowl of candy for the throngs of Trick-or-Treaters, and turned on my porch light in hopeful anticipation.
But no one came. Not a single trick-or-treater rang our door bell. I chalked it up to us living in a two-family house and ours not being the main door.
At least we were left with lots of candy.
The next year, we were still on Long Island, I still didn't buy costumes, Hubby was on call again, and I didn't waste my money (or calories) on any candy. One little boy showed up - a neighbor we had gotten to know. I felt so bad I didn't have any candy that I dug in the cupboard and gave him a chocolate granola bar (good thing we moved before he could egg our cars).
Our third Halloween, we were back home and super excited to go around our neighborhood trick-or-treating. Joey, who was not quite three at the time, wanted to be The Man with the Yellow Hat from Curious George. This actually fit perfectly with the darling monkey costume (again from Old Navy) I had purchased for 14 month old Knox. Slim, on the other hand, kept telling us he "just wanted to be himself." We finally put a plaid shirt on him, convinced him to wear a toy construction worker hat, and called it good.
It was pretty chilly that night, and Knox had developed a cough, but we set out around the neighborhood determined to finally trick-or treat. At each house the boys would dutifully say, "Trick-or-treat!" and receive their candy. As we were leaving each house, Slim would yell in the cutest two-year-old voice ever: "HAPPEEE HALLOWEEEEEEN!!" Every. House.
Joey, on the other hand, did something contrary to his character. After the first couple of houses, in spite of still saying 'trick-or-treat,' as the homeowner reached over to place candy in his plastic pumpkin, he would draw back and say, "No thank you, I already have candy."
I mean seriously, whose kid does that?
And poor little Knox - his cough had turned barky, and he had begun to wheeze harder and harder at each residence. Parents of the year here. Yup.
Finally (after about a couple blocks) the boys were all pooped out, despite Hubby and me wanting to go further.
So we brought the little rascals home, tucked them into bed, and settled on the couch with their pathetic candy stash between us.
Until Knox started coughing and barking and wheezing harder, and I decided I had to take him to the ER. He did have croup, and they did treat him for it. It was my first experience with that. Pfft, first time mom. Now I just put them in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower going full-steam ahead.
Even though it wasn't the "perfect" holiday we were looking forward to, it was pretty memorable. It is one of our favorite memories to share with the boys, and we do so every year. I might have even shared it here before too; but it's so cute it bears repeating.
Anyway, I sincerely hope only fond memories are made tomorrow night as you head out to do whatever it is that you will do.
Oh, and HAPPPPEEEE HALLOWEEEEEEN!!
What are some of your favorite Halloween memories?
