Be Safe And Choose Wisely. Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Best Halloween Costume. Ever.

Okay, all you crafty dog owners out there. Get crackin’.

Thanks To All This Hallow’s Eve

Thanks to all who celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating ON October 31st. (Because that is the date of Halloween, after all.)

Thanks to all who turn the light on, who engage in conversation with their neighbor’s children and enjoy the harmless fun.

Thanks to all who give safe, fun treats and to those who refrain from handing out toothbrushes, fresh fruit and Sun Chips.

Thanks to all who don’t make rude comments to the teens who dress-up to join in the fun. As long as they’re dressed up in the spirit of the season, what’s wrong with a little free candy?

Thanks to all who dress-up in silly or (slightly) scary costumes to answer the door.

Thanks to all who decorate their houses with spooky and fun.

Thanks to all who respectfully quit their trick-or-treating at a reasonable hour.

Thanks to Publix for having buy-one-get-one for Halloween candy the entire month of October. You saved me a boatload of money this year.

Thanks to the drivers who will drive that much slower and be that much more aware tonight.

Thanks to the fun-makers and not the mischief makers. This world needs more fun and so much less mischief.

Thanks to my kids who will graciously share their candy with me this evening – especially anything with chocolate and coconut.

Thanks to all this hallow’s eve.

The (Health) Countdown to Halloween

My two youngest have just recovered from a cold?…the flu? …..H1N1 (formerly known as Swine flu)? A friend of mine said that her pediatrician told her that in our area H1N1 is presenting itself as a mild, upper respiratory, low grade fever kind of flu. That’s exactly what the boys had. Fingers crossed!

But that still doesn’t ease my mind about getting the vaccine (I’m still undecided) or if we should get the regular flu vaccine (which I wrestle with every year, decide not to and then sit on pins and needles all season worrying that I made the wrong decision) or if this last thing that passed between them (daughter and husband still healthy, I just had the achies for a day) will come back to haunt us in just one more day. Hold on, guys! I know you can do it!

You see, Halloween is a big deal in our house. Probably because we don’t keep candy in the house or even eat candy that much all year-round. But at Halloween we let them have a free for all, eating as much as they want for the week or two. Eventually, they forget about the candy (I’m not kidding) and I can toss the leftovers and they never ask what happened to it.

But when they’re sick? No candy. No sugar. My husband (Chinese Medicine Man) calls sugar “Rocket fuel for a cold.” And having to give up sugar at the only time of year we let them eat candy with abandon would be torture in this house.

Plus, I remember a Halloween not so long ago…ok, 40 years ago…when a sweet little girl had to miss Halloween. She missed the Halloween parties. She missed wearing her costume to school. (Remember when you could do that and not offend anyone?) She missed….trick or treating. She had the chicken pox. And all she could do (because she felt fine, her skin just decided to try on a polka-dotted costume that wouldn’t wash away) was stand about 18ft. from the front door and watch all the trick-o- treaters come and go. She had a very dear friend who carried around an extra plastic pumpkin to fill for her. But it wasn’t the same.

So, fingers are crossed. Toes are crossed. We’re eating Flintstone vitamins like, well, candy around here.

Hope everyone out there has a safe AND healthy Halloween!