I got a note

in my mailbox yesterday.

It basically said that the street in which we live (it is a court) "does" Halloween, and if we wanted to take part to put the enclosed streamers on the letterbox and if we had kids and wanted to go around to meet at the neighbour's house at 5.

Now I have never been trick or treating. Ever. I have seen it done. I have heard about it being done. Never taken part.

The kids have never trick or treated.

I was going to not go.

And then my neighbour texted me to ask if I was going.

I really had no good excuse why we couldn't. So I said sure. Why not.

So then I had to do all the follow-on. I had to explain to the kids what trick or treating was. I had to tell them that they got to dress up and ask them what they wanted to dress up as, guiding them ever so gently (not) into dressing up as something for which we already had a costume.

Miss 5 was Rapunzel. I made the wig for book week some months back. I am going to encourage Rapunzel dressing as much as I possibly can. It took me that long to make the wig, we are going to get as much wear out of it as possible.

Miss 4 was Snow White. We had the dress. Fabulous.

Master 3 was Mike the Knight. He just happened to have been given a Mike the Knight sword and shield for his birthday.

Cool. Costumes. Sorted.

Went to Woolies and got some lollipops.

Candy. Sorted.

So then began the countdown. From when we picked up Miss 5 from school.

They got changed as soon as they got in the door. And then it began.

"Is it time to go yet?"

"No darl, still over an hour to go."

Minutes pass.

"How about now?? Is it time to go yet?"

"Still an hour to go Miss."

Several more minutes pass and Miss 4 looks at me all smiles and says "I am just SO excited to be going treat walking!!!"

Sensational.

To cut a long story short, then next hour was incredibly long, and full of questions. And then 5pm arrived and it was time to go. So we did. Across the road and ready to start.

At the first house the kids didn't really quite know what to expect. They stood at the door and someone put some candy in their little baskets, which I might add were not Halloween baskets. They were Easter baskets. Seriously, a basket is a basket. I'm not buying Halloween baskets when I have perfectly good Easter baskets sitting there idly doing nothing until next March or April.

Anyway, by the third house they were loving it. LOVING it.

So. Much. Candy.

The best part was seeing how excited they were. And there was an added bonus. It was a fabulous way to get to meet some of the other kids and parents in the street. Really fabulous.

But without a doubt my favourite part, excitement aside, was Miss 5.

At every house we visited (only the ones with the streamers on the letterbox obviously) the kids were given little treats.

And at every house Miss 5 took one of the lollies from her basket and gave it to the person giving out the lollies.

And my heart. Just. Melted.

What a beautiful little child.

And the moments like that are what we need to hold onto when the same child, an hour later, comes down from a massive sugar rush like a base jumper.

Life is never dull.