Friday, November 1, 2013

Tricks and Treats

We are sufficiently exhausted today.  Tired.  Bone tired.

Getting the kids out of bed and moving around speaking in coherent sentences this morning was tough. Heck, getting myself out of bed this morning was tough.

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year but it always leaves me exhausted afterwards.

Halloween morning I went to help out with Grace's class Halloween party. I was the only person in the whole school that was wearing a costume.  I'm cool like that.

After successfully navigating the 4 and 5 year olds through the ping pong ball/pumpkin toss game, and passing out all the treats, I took Grace with me to the lunchroom to embarrass my boys good and proper.  Not really, but seeing as how I was the only person in school in a costume I think the boys were just slightly embarrassed anyway, even though all of their classmates thought I was super cool.

After that Grace and I ran around with last minute errands, cleaned up the house, and prepped for trick or treating.

By the time the boys came home from school we were ready to go.  Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating.  It was a lovely 60 degrees outside (perfect for trick or treating) but it had been pouring for much of the day.  Including at 4:00 when trick or treating was supposed to begin.  We decided to visit the grandmas while it was raining, collect candy at their houses, and then hopefully the rain would let up after that.  It didn't.  But we didn't let that stop us.

Once we were done at the grandma's houses I grabbed an umbrella (thanks mom!) and headed out with the kids.  Todd stayed in the warm, dry truck following us down the street should we suddenly and desperately need shelter.  Too bad Todd actually lost us for 45 minutes.  Up and down the street he drove searching for his trick or treating family while I flapped my umbrella at him and waved my arms as he drove by.  Grace tired and cried and wondered WHY her daddy wouldn't just come and pick her up so she could go home.

I borrowed a stranger's cell phone to call Todd and got his voicemail.  Mother of Pearl!!!!  I left him a message with the approximate area we were trick or treating in and 15 minutes later he finally found us.  Good grief.  Grace was soaked and tired and jumped in the truck with daddy and went home while the boys and I toughed it out until the end.  The boys were absolute troopers (anything for candy!) and we really did have fun.

Over all it was a trick or treating success!

Todd felt so badly for losing his family that by the time the boys and I made it home in the pitch darkness he had a nice roaring fire going and a pizza in the oven. And he even ran out to get me my special dinner after the kids were in bed.

And now here we are this morning.  Exhausted.

But there is no rest for the weary.  There was more fun to be had.  I had to get Joey's snack for his class party today (they were focusing more on All Saints' Day than on Halloween) and Ben had another costume to wear. The kids' school had mass this morning celebrating All Saints' Day and Ben dressed up as St. Joseph and marched up and stood in the front of church. It was very cute.

I sat with the kids in church and they had a difficult time keeping their eyes open.  I suspect by the time they come home from school they will be thoroughly done. Early bedtimes for all!

How was your Halloween?  Are you as exhausted as we are?

16 comments:

betty said...

You all were troopers for going out and trick/treating in the rain! That was a neat system to have your hubby (try) to follow you around in case of a deluge or whatnot. Wise thinking!

I honestly think they should delay the start of school the day after Halloween for a couple of hours. I think kids would be more productive. I would imagine it was a low key not much learning type of day.

I do remember growing up, attending Catholic school, we always got November 1st off since it was a Feast Day.

hope the weekend is a restful one

betty

Hilary said...

And men talk about women's sense of direction. ;)

Sounds like a fun but tiring night. Your kidlets have such fun parents. :)

Kat said...

Hilary- It was pretty crazy. I must have looked like a loon flapping my umbrella as Todd was driving down the street again and again. I think it would make a fabulous storyline on a funny sitcom. ;)

Cyndy @ Back in the Bush said...

I LOVE that you dressed up! I did too and I still do most years. It's fun! In fact I looked like one of your boys- the one in camo! =)
I'm sorry it rained and that you got lost for 45 minutes! LOL Sounds like something that would happen to me.
My baby niece was a bee too, so cute!

Tabor said...

Got a little tired following my sugar infused grandkids around their neighborhood, but did have a good time and glad I drove the long way up there.

Kat said...

Cyndy- Oh, no, no, no. I didn't get lost, the HUBBY did. I took the kids on basically the SAME route we've taken the last 6 years we have trick or treated. The hubby lost us in the crowd. Or rain. Or whatever. ;)

Bijoux said...

That cracks me up that he couldn't find you! Were there that many other bumblebees out there? LOL!.

Our trick-or-treating has always been from 6-8 pm, so it's always dark. We have had years where a tshirt could be worn and we've gone in the snow. This year did suck with the rain. We only got about half the kids as last year.

Kat said...

Bijoux- I know. I couldn't understand, first, how he lost us at all, and then second, how he couldn't find us. There weren't THAT many trick or treaters. Much less a group of FIVE with an umbrella. Crazy man. ;)

Our trick or treating is from 4-7. It works out well for those with little kids who want to go when it is light. Then at around 5:30 is is darker and pitch dark by 6. It used to be that DST was before Halloween and then it would be dark by 5. Ah well. It was fun anyway. :)

dawn klinge said...

Despite the rain, that sounds like a good Halloween. You all look so cute in your costumes. I was exhausted the next day too. We went to a neighbor's party, and didn't even eat dinner until 10pm, but we had a lot of fun.

Riahli said...

You all are troopers! We just walked around our neighborhood for a little while and headed home. :) We aren't big on trick or treating though… I was very thankful that there was no rain, it was wet but the rain at least stopped long enough to keep us dry. Which is a real wonder in the pacific NW. :)

Anonymous said...

Still exhausted. And that weather WAS the worst.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

You guys are serious troopers. I made it to like three houses with E, then headed home and fed her dinner and handed out candy...and still exhausted!

Shoot, I'm still tired three days later!

You all look great in your costumes!

Wendy said...

"Mother of Pearl!!!" LOL!!!!

Cute kids!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Poor Grace! We had fun and by "we" I mean, "everyone else went trick or treating and I passed out candy and had a beer while I surfed the net."

PERFECTION

yonca said...

Beautiful pics! You've a lovely family, Kat! We didn't go trick or treating this year since moved to Turkey..My son Aria, me and my mom- we had fun trying old costumes and watching a movie:)
Loved your costumes!

lime said...

sounds like yours was very active and despite some glitches, fun. mine was quiet and i spent it having needles poked into me.....via acupuncture. hahahaha

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson