I’m so excited about Halloween on Friday.  For the first time I’ll be heading over to my sister and Lisa’s house to share Halloween with several of my nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and friends.  My sister Diane and Lisa have the patience of saints, so they have this big celebration planned where they will be decorating their garage in the Halloween style and knowing them I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the kids.  All of us have been given assignments to help with the festive party; mine is to purchase the tablecloths, napkins, cups and make sure they have Halloween theme all over them.  I’ve ordered the glow lights and some toys to go along with the other surprises planned.  I’m excited because I’ve never taken the time to be a part of this and I think it’s going to be crazy but fun.  I suppose we’ll be bobbing for apples doing all the things kids do on Halloween and we’ll serve snacks and pizza before going out on the streets and then decide who will escort the kids all dressed up in their wonderful costumes to the neighbors homes to fill their bags with candy.   (Pictures coming)

When I lived in Wheatfield, there were very few homes on the streets, now there are numerous subdivisions and I imagine there will be plenty of treats for the kids.  Which reminds me of the seriousness of the occasion; even though we know our neighbors and neighborhood we will of course check the candy and make every effort to keep the evening safe and fun for the children.  This includes giving them the rules for walking on the streets if there are no sidewalks and making them conscience of the cars on the roads.  I love the idea of sharing the children and their creative costumes with friends and neighbors, however it will be stressful until every child is done and home safely.

Thinking about this, it may become a family tradition continued every year in their home. (Sorry Lisa and Diane, you should have thought of this before you planned such a great party) now you’re trapped with the extravaganza at your house every year. Once again, making memories the children will have for their lifetime and I’m happy that I’ll be a part of the celebration. Appreciative that Lisa and Diane suggested I come and surprisingly; I said yes.  In the past I’ve never taken the time to participate in these events, recently I’ve been able to do it and my reward; seeing the smiles and fun a child will have doing what I otherwise would have only heard about from my family.

I’ll be bringing Noah to the party and he’ll spend the night and play with his cousins, he lives in Eden which means he doesn’t see them as often as if he lived in the neighborhood.  My daughter has been working at making sure the kids see each other on a regular basis allowing them to grow up interacting with each other and making memories to remember.  Her purpose being confident her kids know the importance of their family while sharing time and celebration together.  Learning that watching television and playing video games are alright provided you still remember you’re not a robot who only needs a battery to recharge; on the contrary we are human and need each other to stay in touch, focused, and charged on living life as a family; understanding what it really takes to feel fulfilled knowing when you need someone there is a family member waiting to help. So off to the family party I’ll go and wondering how I’ll do with all the energetic young kids dressed and ready for Halloween.  I’ll be back with details and how the sleepover goes. Happy Halloween, be safe, and have fun giving and sharing with family and friends.