Ah, Halloween.

It's that time of year, falling leaves, cool crisp air and the lilting sounds of kids on a sugar high. Must be Halloween. We have a real conflict in our family as my husband is a true-blue Halloween Scrooge. Really, he hates it. I think it comes from his upbringing. He never had much fun on Halloween because his mom hates it. I don't think she bought them costumes very often and they were sort of left on their own to figure something out. If it were up to Guy, we would become like Jehovah's Witnesses for the month of October and not even recognize that there is a holiday. Too bad, I'm the mom and I always loved Halloween. What's more magical to a child than getting to dress up as something they're not and go around and get candy? (OK, maybe a big guy in a red suit bringing free presents, but not much else.)

Halloween has changed alot since I was a kid, tho'. I grew up in the 70's and times were definitely different. Here are some things I remember about Halloween 'back in the day':

1. Store bought costumes were plastic; plastic 'suits' that tied at the neck and plastic masks with little eye slits and one to breath through. (see picture) They weren't glow-in-the-dark or anywhere near fire-proof.
   
2. We never went trick-or-treating before dark. It was completely unheard of.
3. Our parents did not go with us after age 5. We traipsed through the neighborhoods in groups and didn't worry about the time.
4. People gave out apples and homemade popcorn balls, and we ate them.
5. We actually said, "Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat" at some of the doors, and still got candy.
6. We carved very simple jack-o-lanterns, no patterns or fancy designs, just triangle eyes, a moon shaped nose and a mouth.
7. We watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" every year when it came on TV, becuase that's the only time we could watch it. (No video tapes back in the "olden days")

Our costumes weren't always store-bought, but mom usually helped. One year, I wanted to be a princess. I wore a dress and my church shoes and mom made me a princess 'hat', a cone with a scarf coming out of the top. I loved it, till I was at school and someone asked me if I was a prince. (I had very short hair.)

Now, one of the things I remember most about Halloween was the trading we did after trick-or-treating was over. My two sisters and I would sit on the floor and dump our candy out in front of us. Then, we would go through it and trade each other. ("I'll give you 2 Tootsie Rolls for a Bubble gum") But, somehow, my older sister, Heidi, always ended up with most of the good stuff, (chocolate, to me, candy isn't really worth it if it isn't chocolate). I don't know how she did it, except that she was older and could manipulate us. Then, to add insult to injury, she would make her candy last for weeks, which, of course, Ellen and I couldn't do. Mine probably lasted a coulple days at best. (Heidi, I think you owe Ellen and me a bag of Snickers!)

So, now my kids are safer, and still have a fun time. One of the things they'll remember is Heidi's annual Halloween party. We have a blast. It's tonight, so I'll have some fun pictures to blog. One of the perks of having teen-agers is that I don't have to take the little ones out anymore, - and I don't have to worry about trading, I can just look through thier bags after they go to sleep and pick out the chocolate for myself.