Halloween 2010

I've decided that Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Prior to today, and considering that yesterday - Halloween day - was actually somewhat miserable, I've never had a favorite holiday.  But there's a first time for everything!  Allow me to preface this by saying that I've been a TOTAL slacker lately.  But a couple of weeks ago Hal started working on weekends, so even though I work two 12 hour shifts back to back on Thursday & Friday each week, I've got to be ready to entertain our 6 year old at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday morning, just hours after I've gotten off work and maybe three or four (if I'm lucky) hours after I've passed out asleep.
The first thing Sarah asked me on Halloween morning this year was if she could have pink hair.  My cousin gave us a hand-me-down rock star costume that is pink, I purchased a little pink skull bucket for her to collect her treats in so I guess she figured her hair ought to be pink too.  All day long she begged me to carve the pumpkin.  Granted, I should have already had that done - but alas, I am a slacker.  So just before noon I gave in and we carved the pumpkin, which she immediately made me start calling the "jack-o-lantern."  Later I forced her to take a nap, which she whined about.  When she awoke we made her take a bath, which she also whined about.  Then Jennifer glittered and glammed her hair and face to make her a pretty rock star, and she whined some then too.  Then she whined about the sun not going down fast enough so she could go trick or treating.  When it finally was time, after nearly 12 hours of pure parental torture, we headed out the door and walked straight to the neighbors house.  Not only did Sarah refuse to ring the doorbell and say 'trick or treat,' I had to PUSH her to walk up the sidewalk to their door!  This continued for the next ten houses until she finally asked to go home.  She might have mustered an audible 'trick or treat' once or twice, and maybe a 'thank you' too amongst our threats of never ever taking her trick or treating again if she didn't.
When we arrived home, we grabbed our bucket of candy, turned on the porch light and lit the jack-o-lantern.  This is when the child came alive.  She had a blast giving out candy to all the trick-or-treaters that darted our door.  We still had to remind her to say "you're welcome" but at least she seemed like she was enjoying something after such a long day of begging and whining.  Tis better to give than to receive I suppose.  At least she gets it honest.

In my renewed enthusiasm, I scooped her up after work today and drove her to the day after Halloween sale at Target where we bought lots of candy and a spiffy new costume for her to wear next year.  Only 363 days left.  Let the whining begin!