Halloween GTKY

[186momx]

1. What is your family doing this year?
2. Costumes (kids, yourself, spouse)
3. Do you do more now for Halloween than you did as a kid?

[186momx]

1. DD wants to go to the school carnival on Friday night. They have a glow dance for the middle school kids. She is going TOTing for the first time since 3rd grade with a friend.
2. Friday she is going as a gymnast (leaving practice early so easy). TOTing is horse girl similar to what Amy wears on Heartland and actually what DD wears to ride. NO costume for DH or I and we won't be handing out candy.
3. All we did as a kid was go TOTing on the 31st. We've not done a lot of added stuff mainly because DD has been so limited on what candy she can eat do to dental work.

[mommyatty]

1. We haven’t decided. Normally we have a couple of other families over, eat pizza, and take the kids out trick or treating. We may go to a friend’s house this year instead. DS’s school has Trunk or Trest on Thursday. We are decorating our car and handing out treats.
2. DS is being an Among Us character. DD got a costume that was one of those inflatable tube men that blows around, but she can’t walk in it so chose Annabeth from Percy Jackson instead. She’s a dead ringer for how Annabeth is described in the books. DH and I are not dressing up, but I’m wearing a tee shirt that says “Mom-Ster” to go with our silly monster car theme for Trunk or Treat. I may make DH a shirt that says “Dad-Cula” to go with it.
3. Yes. We just went trick or treating. We didn’t even generally decorate our house.

[mae0111]

1. What is your family doing this year?

DD2 gets to wear her costume to soccer practice on Thurs, which should ruin it, so that's great. Then she will go to a halloween party that's run by the local HS varsity girls soccer team - all of her soccer buddies are attending. I'm close to cancelling all plans because behavior has been absolutely horrendous lately. IF they are allowed out, we will split up. DD1 will go to a friend's house with DH, and DD2 and I will start with friends at our house. We'll have pizza and then walk to a nearby neighborhood that always has a million kids there. They had a blast there last year and our house is closest. We never get many TOTers since everyone goes to the nearby neighborhood, but I will leave candy out for the little ones that tend to show up.

2. Costumes (kids, yourself, spouse)

DD1 is going as Sesame Street characters with a few friends. DD2 is going as a character from Up. DH and I never dress up. I have a jack o lantern tshirt and a crazy headband that I wear every year.

3. Do you do more now for Halloween than you did as a kid?

Not really. It's fine, but I don't really care about it. In the 80's there really wasn't much to do beyond TOT, so I guess the kids do more? We weren't allowed to wear costumes to school. We did wear them to ice skating lessons, but that's it. The storebought costumes were made of plastic and the rink was so cold that the costumes would crack by the end of the night.

[waverly]

I think this Halloween will be socially awkward. DS just told me that his neighborhood friend told him that "they are not friends, but he will still attend parties, and he is only friends with X and Y". I am fine with this because this one boy has been in repeated trouble since starting school. Multiple disciplinary actions through the school, and we were told that he pulled the fire alarm at a fast food place, and was escorted out of Target by security. Another parent said they had issues with him texting inappropriate stuff. But, he will be at the Halloween party, and he is at DS's bus stop because I was nice and said we watch him for bussing because his house is past the bussing line. So awkwardness abounds. He went to a different lunch table and left those words for the remaining kids.  I think we are dodging a bullet here since the kid is going down a rebellious path and choosing friends to go with him, but that doesn't make it fun to watch.   

Then, DD's neighborhood friend approached her and said they were going somewhere else and she wasn't invited. Of course nothing from the parents that we have gone with for the last 10 years, but whatever. So we invited someone else which is fine, but I think DD and I are just over it before it began at this point.

I think we are starting the years of the weird social drama, and I am feeling very over it already.

Costumes: DD is a pirate, DS is Napoleon.

We don't have to do the "little kid things" anymore for Halloween like daycare Trunk or Treat, so it is less than before, but probably more than I did. DD had a Halloween party for soccer. DS is going to the above mentioned Halloween party of awkwardness.

[k3am]

1. Likely some TOT happening. We usually go with the neighbors, but this year both of the big kids want to go with their friends, which leaves DS kinda assed out. No idea what's going to happen.

2. DD will be the world's largest inflatable koala, DS will be a SWAT, I am a bat, and DH will be a carrot, at request of the kids.

3. Yep. TOT and putting out a pumpkin and webs was all we did as a kid. We decorate much more at least than we did. In prior years we did the pumpkin patch, but between bad scheduling and not wanting to spend $30 just to park at the pumpkin patch before even paying for activities or overpriced pumpkins, I don't feel too bad skipping it.

[waverly]

Ah yes the fall activities. I feel like as soon as someone says summer bucket list, fall bucket list, I am then just mentally incapable of doing them. But, I do feel like my kids have aged out of Trunk or Treat and trick or treating at businesses and all that. We've probably aged out of pumpkin patches too. I mean adults can go, but if you are doing the pony rides, bouncy houses, petting zoo that kind of thing they are a little on the old side for all that. They won't even let DS on a pony anymore- he's 5'7".

I'm probably not even going to carve pumpkins this year. We are gone this weekend, and I just want Halloween over with at this point.

[supertrooper1]

1. Even though we have DS next week, ex-H wrote it into the parenting plan that we would split up Halloween after school and this year is his year. His dad will take him trick or treating while we hand out candy. We've gone to Beau's cousin's Halloween party the past 3 years but they're not having it this year due to the husband traveling for work.

2. DS will be George Washington. Beau and I aren't dressing up this year.

3. I don't decorate as much as my mom did other than carve pumpkins, but it's pretty much the same. We went trick or treating and attended the school's harvest festival. I'm feeling bougie handing out full size candy bars this year but it actually was cheaper than buying the bags of the fun sized candy.

[erbear]

1. we are hosting. I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in the morning, plus the neighborhood kids we usually ToT with are including their school friends, who my kids don't care for, so they invited some school friends over. Pizza, beer, then the kids will go out and the adults will hang.

2. Only DD2 (12) has a costume -- she's going to be a tuna. Don't ask. I hate Halloween so I'm not dressing up, and DD1 isn't sure yet.

3. I honestly cannot remember Halloween as a kid at all/

[twinmomma]

1. We will trick or treat in the neighborhood we always go to. We start at my ex in laws and make our way around. It’s an awesome walking neighborhood and where 90% of the girls’ school friends live. The kids get to hang while the parents walk behind and hang out. We usually have a wagon with a cooler full of beers and snacks that we share with whoever we run into.
2. Girls are inflatable tube guys, I’m a car, and DH is the salesman. DS is a stormtrooper but he’s with his mom this year.
3. We actually trick or treat in the same neighborhood where I grew up doing it and the parents hanging while the kids ToT is basically the exact same. It’s pretty awesome. Otherwise, we don’t do anything crazy, just whatever random school events might pop up.

[dglvrk2]

1. This year I think we are dividing and conquering. I'm going with DD1 and her BFF and, hopefully, her parents to their neighborhood. Rumor has it, some of the "rowdier" middle school and high school kids make their presence very well known in this neighborhood each Halloween, so it's advisable for twelve year olds to have an adult literally around the corner.

DD2 and her friends want to go to the neighborhood they've gone to for the last few years. It is a crazy show too.

2.The Ds will dress up. DD1 will. Be Ken and a friend of hers is Alen. DD2 is the Grimm Reaper.
H and I have onesies...it's cold, so I think we'll wear those. I'll be the green alien with a matching green flask filled with something good!!!

3. Yes. To the power of like 11456, yes! When I was young, Halloween involved TOT on my street, usually in Sub-Zero temperatures. It never lasted long. In middle school and higg school, there were a few parties...but NOTHING like this. I miss the more simple times

[mae0111]

It's October 25th and we have no pumpkins. Not a one.

#killingit

[mommyatty]

Oct 25, 2023 9:37:40 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

It's October 25th and we have no pumpkins. Not a one.

#killingit

Us too!

[waverly]

Oct 25, 2023 9:37:40 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

It's October 25th and we have no pumpkins. Not a one.

#killingit

Same.  I got my blow up yard decorations out, and I bought mums.  We are going away this weekend, so pumpkins might not actually happen.  

[twinmomma]

Oct 25, 2023 9:37:40 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

It's October 25th and we have no pumpkins. Not a one.

#killingit

We painted pumpkins at the office yesterday and I took home 3 extras for the kids. That's the only reason we're pulling off pumpkins this year. And we're sure as heck not carving them. These are painting only without adult help or supervision. Have at it kiddos!

[186momx]

I bought a pumpkin weeks ago at Fred Meyer when they were on digital deal for $3. It is sitting by the front door. It won't get carved and I will probably roast it closer to Thanksgiving so DD can make all the things pumpkin. That is the extent of my fall decorating.

There are so many trunk-or-treats, flash mobs, parades, downtown ToTing, and carnivals going on between today and next Tuesday. If you have a little kid you could do almost 7 straight days of candy collecting and some days do multiple events. It just seems very overkill to me.

[k3am]

We are also in the no pumpkins yet club. #winning!

[librarychica]

1. We have family costumes based on a cartoon for a Halloween party at a friend’s house, DD1 will wear that to ToT and DD2 will be a Viking.

2. We ToT at my parents.’ They have a larger, more kid ful neighborhood and my mom is really into Halloween. We go over there most years.

3. We do more only because H’s close friend throws an epic Halloween party every year. I don’t care much for it as a holiday. Depending on the year we might make some crafts or do a pumpkin, but it’s hit or miss, usually more “autumn” than “creepy”, and we never decorate the outside because we aren’t home on Halloween night.

[mommyatty]

Last night a friend reminded me we have a party on Friday at an art place. I had totally forgotten. And I had said we would be there. Oops. Guess I’m going to a party on Friday.

[campermom]

little DS is a mine craft creeper. DD is a Barbie in a box. Big DS wants to do candy duty on the porch. I suspect he wants to talk sports w my boyfriend and cousins husband.

I really hate Trunk or treats. We have 3 we were invited to whether it’s school/PTA, the gym or baseball league. I get irrationally annoyed when places do things that aren’t really necessary but add more mental load and obligation. I would avoid them, but we have to interact directly with them at sports and daycare pickup.

Therefore I’ll be the mom who says “nope” just like I do for Elf on the Shelf. I’m not adding more. I have no more mental coins left to give and my kids know it and accept it. I will make TOT special by having tradition, dinner, and family over. We go w neighbors, and our fav cousins comes over and hang on late on a school night. We are good w that!

[librarychica]

Oh! We did have a “Halloween party” last week. But really it was just a few kids over, DD2 decorated with some paper decorations and DD1 painted everyone’s faces. They all painted those tiny gourds and ate snacks and ran around outside. About my speed.

[macmars45]

1. Tomorrow night we'll attend a Spooky Spectacular at DS & my school. On actual Halloween we'll go to the clinic DS was diagnosed at for a trunk or treat. I'll give out candy at home after we get back from our trunk or treat event.

2. DS will be a paleontologist. I'm going to be Wonder Woman. H will be some specific character DS told him to be. (H wasn't going to dress up so he doesn't care.)

3. Growing up we went to my paternal grandparents' house to trick or treat in their neighborhood because we lived out in the boondocks with no sidewalks or streetlights. So.

[rere]

1. We already did trick or treating camping. Tomorrow we are a stop on the neighborhood Halloween Hayride. We will have chili and a fire pit and give out candy to the kids and pudding shots to the parents. We have a trunk or treating at our church Halloween.

2. Dd, who is 18 BTW, has already been workout Barbie and will be some sort of girl Michael Meyers Saturday.

3. Definitely. We carved a pumpkin and mom dropped us in the middle of town Halloween night trick or treating, and that's about it.

[k3am]

My kids just noticed we don't have any pumpkins. Neither seemed upset about it. I told them I'd buy one at the grocery store if they still have them.

[mustardseed2007]

1. We made story book pumpkins for school, we went to an adult Halloween party that was Disney haunted mansion themed and had lots of fun, kids have parties at school and I’m in charge of the middle school one, and lastly we have 2 friends coming over. One kid is being dropped off and one kids’ parents are staying and I’m sure they’ll be fun.

2. For the party I dressed up as a Disney haunted mansion cast member and dh was the baron from the portrait (iykyk). For Halloween dh has a star wars fighter pilot and I’m wearing an r2d2 dress. Had I known about the party theme I wouldn’t have purchased the r2d2 dress, but here we are.

Ds is dressing up as a grandma and it’s super cute and funny. DD is bowser.



3. I think we do more bc school does more and we tend to go out of our way to hang out with friends, which I don’t really recall doing when I was a kid…but maybe we did I don’t know.

[madringal]

1 - we always have some friends from church over and take the kids TOT together.  Our group had 6 baby girls in like 6 months so we started when they wre all babies so our husbands could take their siblings and it just kind of stuck.

2 - DD1 is a traffic cone, DD2 is Fleur from HP, and DD3 is Ghost Spider

3- my family didn't do much. We'd trick or treat, that was about it.

[sdlaura]

1. Tomorrow I’m coming home from my office at 2:30 to pick up my 3 boys and get them in costume and take them back to the office to trick or treat. Most of my coworkers have never met them or haven’t seen the oldest one in years because COVID eliminating in person stuff, so that’s why I’m enduring the hassle. DD has her 11-year-old well doctor visit and then two sports practices so she’s not coming. Then tomorrow we’ll trick or treat with kids. DD with one friend, DH and DS1 with another friend, and me with the little boys (maybe combined with one of the older kid groups).

2. DD is being some weird Barbie cowgirl with her friend, DS1 has a glowing mask and glowing gloves and grim reaper robe, DS2 and DS3 are going to be game time decisions based on our accumulated pile of costumes.

3. When I was a kid we had a Halloween parade at elementary school and all the parents came - and trick or treating.

Separately - trunk or treats do not seem to be a thing around here and I’m fine with that!

[waverly]

It’s supposed to be between 25-38 degrees and possible snow. I wasn’t looking forward to trick or treating and now I really am not. DD isn’t looking forward to it either and I think we both wish we hadn’t invited anyone and just went to a few houses and called it done. Maybe her school party will be fun.

[mae0111]

My plans have changed a bit. My elderly uncle passed away yesterday. His services are on Halloween. Without traffic it’s an hour away. I would be coming home at rush hour, so I’m assuming at least 90 mins. So now instead of having DD2’s friends over for pizza and ToTing, my friend is taking the crew on her neighborhood instead. I will meet up with them when I get back. DH will also get dd1 to a friends house about 15 mins away.

It’s going to be a stressful day but I’m thankful for the moms that jumped in immediately to help.

[186momx]

mae0111, I'm sorry about your uncle but very happy that the kids friends parents stepped up so the girls still could go out.