Could there possibly be a better holiday for kids? Dressing up in costume, running around after dark and then to top it all off getting candy! Not to mention getting enough candy to last for weeks...well for some kids-for my kids days, if I'm lucky. They have already eaten candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This year we had Rosie the angel, who kept her beautiful white dress spotless for about 2 mintues. John Paul was the cowboy, but this was only decided days before. He wanted to be everything from Spiderman, The Hulk, a ninja, and of course the old standby-a pirate!! The only way we could get him to commit to a costume was to entice him with the promise of a cap gun with holster, which he wore every day from the day of purchase until Halloween... he still might have it strapped on. And Adam was an Indian, which was a spin off the cowboy costume. His costume was perfect for him because the loin cloth was merely one step up from the his normal attire which is a bare bottom.

Now for me, as a parent, the only joy is seeing the thrill of it all for my children and of course eating their candy...I mean I can't let their little bodies process all that sugar-it wouldn't be healthy!

I am a procrastinator by nature and my costumes always come together the night before, if they come together at all. My ideas never work out, I can't sew, and I surely will not spend $40 on something I will wear for one night. This year I lucked out and got a costume from my cousin. I was really lucky because I was able to alter it a bit to fit the growing belly in there. What I didn't plan for was the low cut front and after looking at pictures was shocked at my "slutty witch" costume. For a mother of almost four it was a little to "revealing". Oh well.

My biggest surprise this year was my husband. Usually he comes along for a couple of houses and pictures but mostly he stays in the air conditioning passing out candy. Can I blame him? He grew up in Oregon where the temperature for Halloween is a guaranteed 60 degrees or colder-in Florida we are lucky if we get temperatures under 80 degrees. He really pulled his weight this year and went to all the houses with the kids and I, he even dressed up! He was an Oregon City football fan, it was a classic. The facial hair and hair cut he gave himself made the outfit (the picture doesn't do it justice). I woke up to him the next morning and had to do a double take-he might keep the look for work on Monday....but I hope not.

The kids did great. John Paul kept his boots on the entire trick-or-treat experience, Rosie lost her shoes about 5 houses deep but that didn't slow her down (she ran from house to house) and Adam only got out of his stroller in between lollipops to hopefully score another one.

I can't wait until next year!