Never a Halloween enthusiast, I had to drag Matt out trick-or-treating last night. He tells me that even as a kid he thought Halloween was too much work since he could just eat candy from his kitchen. And yes, when he shared that little observation with me I did collapse on the floor in the biggest eye-roll in history. But I invited him nonetheless because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough arms and patience to keep two kids under five from running into oncoming traffic and gangs of goblins if I went out on my own.
There was one tiny complication though: some jerk dog in a pumpkin costume bit Matt. Yes, I dragged my husband out to trick-or-treat in the pouring rain and all he got was a dog bite on his back. He's ok, though it did really hurt. The dog managed to clamp his teeth down enough through Matt's jacket to leave teeth marks and a big bruise, though thankfully he did not break the skin. The owner of the dog, someone I see in the neighbourhood every week, behaved terribly. We had to yell at her to stop walking as I pulled up Matt's jacket and shirt to see the severity of the damage. She asked if he was alright, but did so trying to hide behind a tree down the block. We should have gotten her name and information but everything happened so fast. I'm going to speak to her next time I see her. This dog came inches from biting Shira, who was catching a ride home in Matt's arms. If the dog had bitten an inch to the left we probably would have spent last night at the hospital.
Our Princess Sleeping Beauty and Fairy Princess had a delightful Halloween nonetheless. We've been drawing ghosts for weeks and we even managed to carve out a pumpkin last night, who joined us for dinner on the dining room table. And then there was the bake sale at school on Tuesday and, of course, the candy. The girls asked to sleep with it last night and I expect that we'll hear a lot about it over the next day or two as we ration out a few pieces at a time. I also expect that by the weekend we'll offer to trade in their candy for a Barbie. We all pick our battles, no?
P.S. Sorry, Matty.
I agree with Matt about Hallowe'en...I've never been a fan. Instead of spending money (or time and effort) on a costume, I'd rather take that money to the store and buy myself candy that I actually LIKE. :)
ReplyDeleteWe wrestle between letting them eat it all in one go to get rid of it, and rationing it out...of course, that's as much for me as it is for their health. Because when I watch TV late at night, those little chocolate bars call me in their chocolatey little voices...
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about Matt...that's terrible. I can't stand irresponsible dog owners. It takes so little for a child to get hurt (and I imagine your girls' faces, when standing are not higher than where Matt got bitten)...ugh. I shudder to think of it.
Matt was bitten all the way near his armpit! It was a very big dog, and Shira's leg was right next to the bite. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteYes, getting rid of candy is as much about them as it is for me. Mostly I hate the whining when they ask for it non-stop. Some kids have the ability to ration. Ours do not.
Stacey, I love the magic of being out at night with lit pumpkins. I'm such a nerd when it comes to starlight and pumpkins. I think I might actually put twinkle lights up in my kitchen.