Halloween blues

     Well, I have one birthday party down and two to go!  B's party went off on Sunday without a hitch. Only one of the boys he invited couldn't attend, plus H had a friend, so we had a full house! The party was Phineas and Ferb themed, and I really had fun making his cake. Cake decorating is messy and really time consuming, but for me it's relaxing, too. It's one of the last "homey" type things that I have time for - twice or three times a year.   I have two more times to look forward to in the next two weeks, and then my bags and food coloring go away for another year! Now, I am having Holiday letdown.  You know that mildly grumpy feeling you get once all the excitement is over... this makes me worried that no one will come to H's party on Saturday! We have big plans for her party, and with B's being such a hit, I am terrified that none of her friends will come and it'll be just her and me and a butterfly cupcake cake to drown our sorrows! Seriously...what mother worries that her daughter isn't popular enough in FIRST GRADE???
     The real reason for this holiday letdown is that Halloween this year was a total bust! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I get all giddy and excited waiting for it - like kids and Christmas.  I LOVE IT.  But my kids... not so much. We have "Trick or Treat State Street" in town, which is basically the local businesses. It's really nice for the younger kids, because they get to trick or treat during the day light hours and everyone gets to see them all dressed up. But I'm a purist when it comes to trick or treating - darkness, flashlights, running from house to house... I have been waiting for my kids to get old enough to enjoy that part.  I thought this year was the year! B is 9; H is 7 - hearty, fit, on an other day, they'd run for miles at the prospect of candy at the other end.  Not on Halloween.... B didn't trick or treat at all...wouldn't even put on his costume.  Bless his heart, he got a new book at the Book Fair that day and only wanted to read. (What mother tells her kid to "put that book down and come get some candy, already!"??)  H did trick or treat on State Street, and I had high hopes for the night.  She wanted to go out - reapplied her blood- and we took off.  About a block and a half from the house, she wanted to stop. Out of desperation, I offered to drive her (Not a Purist thing to do, but I was desperate!) So we went back home, jumped in the car and were pulling out. B then jumps in - no costume, no SHOES- and wants to come too. Whatever, time is ticking and we only have an hour left! First house, H gets out and goes up to the door. Nice little old lady answers, lets her in to pick a candy, and she comes back out.  B promptly tells H she shouldn't have gone into the house (true, but I was watching everything from the big picture window) scares her, and she's done. DONE. after THREE houses.  Despite all my prodding and cajoling, she couldn't be convinced to go to anymore houses. So I was forced to drive them home, past all the running, happy kids, past all the bright front lights and all the free candy!  I was devastated.  Seriously.  I was in a bad mood the entire rest of the night, and promptly started worrying that no one was coming to H's party.  GOOD GRIEF Charlie Brown.  Next year, I will just sit in the pumpkin patch with Linus and wait for the Great Pumpkin!

Christine