Trunk or treat

Well, despite my best intentions to get all Pumpkin McScrooge on Hallowe’en and ignore it totally in the hopes it would just go away, I relented somewhat and created a modified costume for the One True Child (read: grey fleece jumpsuit with a sock pinned on as a tail, plus kitty ears left over from Mommymatic’s pre-baby, I-can-still-wear-skintight-velvet-bodysuits kitty-costume era) and took him to see our neighbors and, let’s face it, score some free candy for my trouble. He had a blast—played with the two big dogs across the street, tried on all our next door neighbor’s shoes (they were laying in the entryway, absolutely begging for a Small Boy to try them on), and saw his Big Boy Buddy Xander from down the street in his aaaaawesome dragon costume.

Which is where I learned about “Trunk or Treat,” also known as Reason #2 Why Mormons Will Soon Be Taking Over the World*. Apparently, each of the two LDS churches in a six-block radius hosts a Hallowe’en gathering wherein children come to the parking lot of the church, where everyone is passing out candy from the trunks of their cars. I find this to be a stunning innovation in Maximum Candy Acquisition Efficiency—you don’t have to do all the dreaded walking in order to get your sustained sugar high—just come on up to the church and get your loot concentrated in one candy-rich environment. And parents can hardly protest, because children no longer have to walk around the dark neighborhood, worrying about dogs, hooligans, drunk adults or any other assorted Hallowe’en shenanigans. And it’s hosted by a church, which means not only is the candy free, but, apparently, Deity-approved. What could be better?

Of course, I didn’t end up taking D up there, despite the siren song of the thousands of mini candy bars up for distribution, because it was his bedtime and because, frankly, as utopian as it sounds to go to a big parking-lot-candyfest, it seemed a little weird, too. Not, maybe, as weird as keeping a 6-month-old up so that she could go trick-or-treating, but weird. (And yeah, seriously. Six months. D wasn’t even sitting up at six months, let alone interested in dress-up, scary adult holiday weirdness—and let’s face it, most of this holiday is for adults’ entertainment, not kids. And it wasn’t like the baby was with an older sibling or anything. Am I just a fogey or does that seem odd?) But anyway, the parking lot thing seemed weird, so we skipped it. I’m sure I’ll be all over that like a cheap suit next year when the whole capitalist concept of Hallowe’en is more firmly planted in D’s mind , but this year, I was thrilled to give him a taste of the best what Hallowe’en is like and to let him show off a little for his ‘hood.

Pictures to come…


* Reason #1, in case you're interested, is the phenomenon that is the Young Women's group. Apparently, one can call the local LDS Ward and get access to a ready-made list of babysitters through their Young Women's group. Considering the fees one might need to pay an agency for such a service, I feel this is truly serving one's fellow man (or mom, if you will)---to provide a kick-butt (and yet totally free!) screening service to find wholesome, fresh-faced young women who want to take care of my child?? Um, yes, please. I haven't done this yet, but I'll keep ya posted.