Last night after we went trick-or-treating, Zoey and I sat on our front steps and gave out candy to the trick-or-treaters. It was different this year. They blocked off the top of our street, so we basically only got foot traffic this year. Normally, around 8:00 PM, pickup trucks with about ten kids in the back drive through the neighborhood, looking for treats.
Homemade costumes are officially dead. Everyone was either a Spider-Man, a princess of some kind, a monster, or, like myself, Hannah Montana. Every once in awhile, a slice of pepperoni pizza or a bowl of fruit would show up at our home, but for the most part, we were stuck with licensed characters (this coming from the guy who was Hannah Montana and whose daughter was Hello Kitty). We also had the usual teens and preteens that didn't even bother dressing up; they just came up carrying their Wal-Mart plastic bags. One punkass couldn't even be bothered with a plastic sack; he just came to our steps and stuck out his empty hand. Some people take all the fun out of Halloween.
There was one little kid who stood out for me. He wore a curly wig, a sport coat, and a tie. His parents waited by the curb as he marched up to our steps. He was very animated and made Zoey and I laugh. I had never met such a cocksure three-year-old. This kid, along with a teenager who looked at me and then sarcastically told Zoey, "Dude, your Mom's hot," made putting up with all the non-costumed bastards worthwhile.
Zoey had a lot of fun looking at the costumes and handing out candy. Every once in awhile, someone would comment on how cute she looked, and she would act all demure (which is totally an act). It made her feel good, so she decided to share the wealth. When little kids would come to our steps, she would say, "I like your costume" and the kids would giggle or thank her.
But soon, she was saying it to everyone. Finally, after Zoey told some twelve-year-old girl wearing a clown's nose that she had a nice costume, I decided to explain to Zoey that while it's nice to compliment people, we shouldn't do it if we don't really mean it. I'd much rather hear her tell some kid his costume sucked than faked sincerity.
So yeah, she ate a lot of candy last night, but I'd like to think she walked away from Halloween with a little more than a bellyache.
Song of the day: Do They Know It's Halloween? by The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative
Halloween Night
