Our Little Halloween Treat

Halloween actually started on the 30th for us this year. Our library had a special dress-up storytime with healthy snacks and cookies, plus a costume parade for the waiting voters outside. I quickly learned that things are far more complicated with 4-year-olds because their memories contain more Halloween history.

The plan was for Alexa to wear her Jasmine costume but that changed quickly. Apparently she grew enough for the top and bottom pieces to no longer touch. As a father, I guess I shouldn't complain that my daughter is uncomfortable with showing her midrift! Still, I tried to reason with her that it makes her look MORE like the "real" Jasmine and even showed her the Aladdin DVD cover. Too late, the damage was done. Luckily for Alexa, she has quite the collection of costume options. The Belle dress was out because it drags on the floor slightly. The Cinderella dress didn't even merit a response. So, the winner was her mermaid costume complete with the holes due to its now tight fit. Oh well...

Fortunately, the library visit went well as all the kids were buzzing with excitement (even before the snacks!). Alexa's best friend, Zack, who tends to be more laidback like Alexa was talking more than the librarian. One older girl just completely usurped a story and recited it from memory as the librarian tried to turn the pages fast enough to keep up. In short, it was one of those times when being a parent is really fun and you just sit there with a goofy grin for about an hour. The only bad thing was my lack of a camera- sorry!

On Halloween, I used all of my negotiating powers with help from Tracy and Alexa actually wore her Jasmine costume:

However, you will notice she did pull-up her pants high enough to reach her top. Oh well, compromise is good...

Then it was off to school for a party complete with snacks, a haunted house, and trick-or-treating the other classrooms. I was proud of Alexa because she was initially scared of the ghoul standing outside the Haunted House, but she took my hand and made me go with her.
She surprised me by wanting to go through it again! Even though I was requested to go with her, she quickly left me behind as I slowly navigated the three-foot-high "doorways". She even stopped to feel the "eyeballs", "worms" (not intestines at this age), and point out the scary spiders.
Then, finally, it got dark enough to trick-or-treat - and note Alexa's complete disregard for her midrift! Even though it was rainy and late, she hung in there and made it around the neighborhood with Tracy. A recent phenomenon in our house is Alexa's desire to do things on the pool table. So, of course, there was no better place to dump her haul. Ah to be young again...