The Fireman and the Dalmation

I am quite sure I'm joining the millions of mommy bloggers who have much to say about this evening.  I mean, we've prepared for this event for weeks now...the candy consuming started last week at school and for the first time ever, my son is officially obsessed with lollipops.  This, in fact is great for me and my husband because a lollipop takes 45 minutes to eat, and by then there is no time for more candy, nor IS there any more candy.  The downfall is the horrible stickiness that has been all over his body since this morning when he consumed his first lollipop at church.  Coincidentally my husband re-caulked the bathroom tub this afternoon.  I started panicking when I realized I might not be able to bathe my dingy little dalmatian and very sticky fireman. Hope it's good caulk.

These Halloween evenings are especially comical if you have pre-schoolers.  You've been talking about "the costume" for weeks and if your son is like mine, he is absolutely afraid to put it on. I was utterly amazed when he was begging me at dinnertime to put his fireman hat on so he could go get treats from neighbors, specifically the next-door neighbor who promised him cookies.

After bug spray, a fractured treat bag, many attempted pictures (are they ever perfect?), a few stressed words passed back and forth between my husband and I, I gather up my children while the mobs approach.  We head down the street for our adventure.  James reluctantly grabs candy from neighbors in the dark while a mysterious fog seems to surround us.  I keep spying to see what type of candy he's getting and secretly hope for chocolate.  Not ten houses in, he wants to go home.  Fine with me. His treat bag is overflowing and he's dropping peanut M & M's on the ground. Perfect.  I scoop them up and hide them for later.

The after-party is better.  June pants around the porch like a real-live dalmatian, exploring, happy in her own filth.  James strips from his costume and sucks his cherry lollipop for what seems like an hour.  We hand out candy to the scary teenagers and random people from other neighborhoods.  The toddlers have all gone inside.  I start counting down the minutes til I will hopefully be able to fill up that newly caulked bath tub.