Halloween fun

I remember going trick-or-treating as a kid, and what exhiliration I felt when my parents decided I was old enough to go out without them. The freedom! The candy! Being with my pals! Dressing up like a hobo or a rock star! It felt so free, so delicious, this feeling of being out AT NIGHT without supervision. If I close my eyes I can imagine being that age again, the smells and the fears and the excitement.

Matt took the kids out last night to do the candy walk, and I stayed behind to hand out treats. I really don't mind that job, because I enjoy seeing all the kids. I have to say my favorites are the older kids, the ones that are bearing down on being almost too old to be out. I think it is because I remember being that age, and I like to look at them and re-live the freedom they are feeling. You can tell they are feeling it--they are happy and carefree, and you can joke around with them and they don't treat you like an over-the-hill granny.

Although, you can tell things are different than when I was a kid (see? over-the-hill grannies talk like this). There were a couple of tween girls walking around the culdesac, with the requisite glittery hair and bad eye makeup job, and they were having a giggly girly conversation as they walked, living the high life. Then, one of their moms must have called on the cell phone. "We're on the circle, MOM (said with a high-and-mighty attitude). We're doing FINE." Big sigh/sneer.

I completely understand why the mom called. I probably will, too, when my kids are old enough to go out by themselves. But I confess I felt a little bit sorry for the girls that their night of freedom was interruped by the call.