Halloween is over, it’s over in the literal sense because it’s November 1st and it’s also over in the metaphorical sense because my three kids are all well past the ages where their costumes made my heart sing.
We could hear them as they approached last night. Little feet slapped the sidewalk as if the speed in which they arrived to the door was the key to unlocking the treats that were waiting to be handed out. Even after the door closed their high pitched squeals of delight and exclamations of, “WOW, they gave out BIG candy!!!” echoed throughout the cul-de-sac.
And I was struck for what feels to be the zillionth time in my adult life by how fast the time flies past. In my minds eye I can still picture the various costumes my own wore when they were itty bitty, the dinosaur, the red hot chili pepper, the bumble bee… They drift past me now as if on a parade float, so close I could almost touch them, yet not all at the same time, instead I half-wave as the image of them fades into the dark.
I am reminded that these are the treasures I carry with me–from the nestled baby tucked in my arms moments after birth, to the sight of our middle son taking his solo journey away from us after we said our last goodbye’s in the parking lot of his new college this past September–each memory is pure gold.
I am so with you. I really missed past Halloweens last night when the little ones came trick or treating. It’s been a long time since my kids were Batman and Barney. Love that picture of Chandler!
Thanks Lois. It’s fun to see those little kids, glad we still have a few showing up. And it fun watching J attend to the door with his prized candies! 😉
Chandler is adorable in that picture!
It was bittersweet around here last night. As she had the year before, Lexi was the one who wanted to pass out the candy, to greet the trick-or-treaters by stepping out on the front porch and holding out the bowl so they could pick out favorites. This year, I stayed in the back room, comforting the dog, watching TV, and asking for a costume report each time the door closed. And each time that door closed, I cracked it just a bit in my mind’s eye and caught a glimpse of my girls when they were small.
Comforting the dog is an integral part of Halloween. Especially for those of us with small excitable dogs.
Ah I love that you took care of your sweet pup. Yes…the memories do roll up into the mind don’t they?
I missed Halloween too, Elin. I had to go to a library and on the way home got stuck in local traffic because of a school’s Halloween parade. I watched the faces of the children and the looks of the parents and it brought that time of my life right in front of my eyes. I miss it so.
It does seem sort of hard to believe how many years have slipped past! I know we all celebrate the stages where our kids are, but as you say…it’s easy to miss some of those precious times.
Glad my son is all grown up, of course. But do I miss my little Halloween tiger cub? Of course I do! Thanks for a sweet blog post.
Thanks Roz.
I miss trick-or-treaters. We used to get a lot at our old house, but the one we moved into nearly seven years ago is off the beaten path and none of the houses around us do Halloween. We keep plugging away, though, and last night we had more than usual.
What I most miss is the opportunity to have my grandsons come to my house to trick or treat. My daughter and her boyfriend *did* come, though, with his six-year-old son, so that helped… some.
I hadn’t really even stopped to think about how moving could change that whole experience Lisa. Kind of neat that you had more this year than in the past and even better that your daughter, boyfriend and his son all showed up. It’s fun seeing the little ones, they make it fun.
My kids left at home are definitely in the throw-a-costume-together-at-the-last-minute category — but it was fun last night. Time goes fast. Yes it does.
Oh I hear that, we have seen some pretty make-shift outfits per the years, especially in high school!
No trick or treaters in our neighborhood last night. Locally, we are all done nesting. I miss making the Halloween cakes with food-colored marshmallow Frankensteins and rectangular sugar cookie gravestones for my daughter’s classes. Ah, memories. At least here in Tucson the awareness and appreciation of the interconnectedness of worlds present and past starts with Halloween and continues on until the All Souls Procession which won’t happen until Sunday the 9th of November this year.
Love the way you put that Nancy… “the awareness and appreciation of the interconnectedness of worlds present and past starts with Halloween.” And how wonderful to be in an area where that is celebrated.
I now have an image of you standing on the street, hand poised in the Princess wave, watching the floats go by :)! Thank you for the smile!!!!
Ha! Thank you Ruth, you made me smile too. xo
My boys are 13 and 9. Every time I look at them, I feel time speeding by. 8th grade!!! How did that happen? And there’s not a thing I can do about it. It’s like feeling grains of gold slipping through your fingers. (Wow, that was profound.)
Indeed it is…
Me too, Elin. I loved every single minute of those years of Halloween costumes, parties and fun. I think that is why I am loving being a new Grandma! I get to go through all the joy and no sleepless nights!
Love that, the fun and sleep are a great combination Ellen!
I enjoy experiencing through our tinest TorTreaters each year!
They make the entire night for me too Carol.
I miss the Halloween parties too. We had a neighborhood full of kids, and we’d have dinner here, then the dads would take the kids out, and the moms would stay back and drink wine. Heh. But now it’s fun to be the one with the big candy. I bought theater sized boxes and full sized chocolate bars (and tied them with black ribbon) for the kids I knew, and their friends. As one set left I heard her saying, “I told you so, she always saves the biggest ones for us.”
I love that Kim. My husband was so excited to buy the big candy bars this year! The kids loved them!
If it’s any consolation, in a few years (or decades) the grandkids will come in their cute costumes and you’ll be their favorite because you give them whatever they want.
Well our oldest is 27 so that just might be the case one day! Whenever that happens we will enjoy it!
I started thinking of my children’s costumes….then I had to quit, it was too sad. Time goes by so fast I eat breakfast every 20 minutes