halloween 2013

after years of denial & attempts to overcome it i've finally realized that halloween just isn't my thing. it's nothing personal. i mean, i get why people like it. it just doesn't do anything for me. i would much rather skip all the spider webs & jack-o-lanterns & move right into stockings & advent calendars (yes, i wouldn't mind skipping thanksgiving. let's be honest, the spirit of thanks was destroyed long ago. the holiday only serves as an excuse for a glutenous feast & greedy shopping. but that's a topic for another day.) so i count halloween as one of my obligatory motherly duties since my boys (mainly, cooper) love the holiday. we do all the halloween things, we decorate our home, create the crafts, make the foods, go to the parties, trick-or-treat, etc., etc. but my heart just isn't in it. 

this year i embraced my feelings while still trying to provide the halloween my kids deserve. they picked out their costumes at costco back in august (score for me! they were just about as easy & well-priced as i could have hoped for). tj fell in love with the captain america costume the instint he laid eyes on it (in fact, he's worn it all over the island over the past few months). mylo was thor by default (he didn't care & the older boys wanted the hammer to play with). cooper was originally going as hulk but the day of he changed his mind & went with a backup we luckily had lying around, black spiderman. they were the cutest bunch of super heroes i ever have seen. it's amazing how much of a confidence boost it was once they put on those muscle-clad suits. and mylo was just plain awesome with his shoulders as broad & he is tall. he was absolutely fearless about all the halloween festivites. he went right up to the creepiest of creepy things without hesitation. at first he wasn't so sure about trick-or-treating, but once he realized there was candy at the end of those walkways he was all about it. we went trick-or-treating with a group of friends. coop felt like such a big kid roaming the streets with his friends (little did he know i was stalking him the whole way & never more then a good leap away). tj was more than happy to chase after cooper & follow his big brother's lead. he kept saying, "you not be afraid. you be brave." if ever i pretended to be scared of the spooky decor. my favorite part was when they were handed popsicles. yes, trick-or-treating on maui is a whole different experience. i'm used to knocking on doors to retrieve candy from homeowners tucked away in the warmth of their homes. it is not like that on maui. everyone is outside. most homes have an outdoor party going on. you just walk up, get some candy, & if you're lucky a little kau kau, too! such aloha even on the creepiest night of the year.  so yes, even though halloween really isn't for me, i think we had a pretty pleasant holiday.