Not one stinkin' trick-or-treatin' Dorothy!

[fuzzywuzzy]

Came to my door last night with Toto!

This is KANSAS...HELLO?

Geez, I give up!

fuzzy (Marley may I have permission to grumble?)

[Rexer25]

They done moved to Texas. We saw four last night at our church's Fall Festival.

[MarleysGh0st]

fuzzy (Marley may I have permission to grumble?)

Certainly!

<grumble>®



But perhaps Kansan kids today find the Dorothy thing a little old-fashioned and stereotypical?

[earendel]

Came to my door last night with Toto!

This is KANSAS...HELLO?

Geez, I give up!

fuzzy (Marley may I have permission to grumble?)

We were away from the house all evening, so we didn't have any kids come to our house. We did, however, have a "fall festival" at our church and invited children from the local homeless shelter to come. Our own children also dressed up in costume - there was one Hannah Montana, a Superman and a Flash (too bad we couldn't get them to race to find out which one is faster), a Spider-Man, several pirates, and assorted other costumes.

[MarleysGh0st]

They done moved to Texas. We saw four last night at our church's Fall Festival.

So your church has objections to "Halloween," but not to children dressing up in costume on October 31?

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I bought a lot less candy than last year and we had twice as many kids. Around 8:00 I had to go into my garage and get yogurt snacks and play-doh to fill our caldron.


I didn't see any Dorothy costumes, but Maddie handed out candy most of the time.

[earendel]

They done moved to Texas. We saw four last night at our church's Fall Festival.

So your church has objections to "Halloween," but not to children dressing up in costume on October 31?

We call it "Eve of All Saints", which technically it is. Dressing up in costume was encouraged for the "Trunk or Treat" and the games we had, but the costumes weren't supposed to be scary ones.

[Appa23]

So your church has objections to "Halloween," but not to children dressing up in costume on October 31?

Not to speak for Rexer or Ear, but I can explain the thought process of my church (and my wife and I).

We want to give kids a safer alternative. So, they can come to church, play games, see a puppet show, and gets lots of candy, while their parents do not need to worry about the cold, getting hit by cars, or wierdos doing something to the candy.

I would say that we use "Fall Festival" and not "Halloween" because the latter seems to focus, more and more, on the darker side of things. With Halloween, you get more and more kids dressed like Freddie Krueger, Jason, scary witches, zombies, and the like. No such creatures at a fall festival.

Schools seem to be in the same line of thinking. Around here, at the schools that do have parties, they are "Fall Festival" parties or "Harvest parties". My kids' school specifically declared that there could not be any costumes with weapons or any scary costumes. Still, there were parents who let their kids dress as Chucky the Killer Doll, the scream guy, and a few other questionable choices (all of which, I guess, had to leave the cutlery home from school).


Meanwhile, our kids were a big hit with their costumes. The Boy was a Gryffindor Seeker, with broom, wand, and golden snith. (Note: He was not Harry Potter.We took Potter off and put his last name on the robe. He apparently disliked being thought of as Harry Potter enough that he took off his real glasses for the costume parade at sachool, and stuck them in his pocket. Thank goodness that he had a second pair at home, because he mangled the snot out of the frames.)

PP went as the tooth fairy. We took a pink and rainbow hued fairy dance costume and hot glued teeth cutouts to the skirt, wings, and bodice. She had a large toothbrush wand. She had a tiara crowned with teeth rather than jewels. She had a bag of teeth. Around her waist, she had a coin changer. Because she is PP, she also wore some hot pink sunglasses and black Chuckie Taylor high tops. She loved asking people about their teeth, and giving out fake quarters to everyone.

[fuzzywuzzy]

Not only, did I NOT have a Dorothy & Toto, I had this yougun who was maybe...hmm, 4 or 5 years old. He wanted more & more candy, and I told him, "I have to save some for the other children who come to my door" He then proceeded to give me a dirty look, and walked down my stairs.

Ah, hmm, his parents must be so proud of their little guy!

fuzzy

[earendel]

So your church has objections to "Halloween," but not to children dressing up in costume on October 31?

Not to speak for Rexer or Ear, but I can explain the thought process of my church (and my wife and I).

We want to give kids a safer alternative. So, they can come to church, play games, see a puppet show, and gets lots of candy, while their parents do not need to worry about the cold, getting hit by cars, or wierdos doing something to the candy.

That's pretty close to the reasoning our church chose to do this - and because it (Halloween) was on a Wednesday, a church night (for Baptists, anyway). The kids didn't have to choose between coming to church and getting treats. Plus, as I mentioned, we invited kids from a homeless shelter - they have enough scariness in their lives without having to deal with gory costumes and such.

[Appa23]

Not only, did I NOT have a Dorothy & Toto, I had this yougun who was maybe...hmm, 4 or 5 years old. He wanted more & more candy, and I told him, "I have to save some for the other children who come to my door" He then proceeded to give me a dirty look, and walked down my stairs.

Ah, hmm, his parents must be so proud of their little guy!

fuzzy

This makes it sound like he did not have a parent with him????????

Since we would not be at home, we left a big basket full of candy and treats on our porch (as we have for years). There is a sign to only take a few pieces. We know that there will nothing left by the time that we get home. The older kids will just the whole thing into their bags, if the younger kids earlier have not stuffed handfuls into their bags. Still, we hope for manners.

[Rexer25]

So your church has objections to "Halloween," but not to children dressing up in costume on October 31?

Not to speak for Rexer or Ear, but I can explain the thought process of my church (and my wife and I).

We want to give kids a safer alternative. So, they can come to church, play games, see a puppet show, and gets lots of candy, while their parents do not need to worry about the cold, getting hit by cars, or wierdos doing something to the candy.

That's the reasoning our church used as well. They don't say anything about costumes, or scariness, just let the kids come and have a good, safe time. The decision was made to have a '50s theme, so our girls put on poodle skirts.

[silvercamaro]

Here is a first for me. I had nothing but younger children, all accompanied by parents and all of whom said "Thank you." The oldest I saw couldn't have been more than 7 or 8.

The first visit was chaotic but funny, when Lizbit tried everything to get outside with the kids. On the second ring of the doorbell, she still tried to get to the porch, but she was less frenetic. On the third and thereafter, she sat nicely about three feet back, where she could see everybody through the door, and they could see both her and Annie well enough to ooh and ah.

[MarleysGh0st]

That's the reasoning our church used as well. They don't say anything about costumes, or scariness, just let the kids come and have a good, safe time. The decision was made to have a '50s theme, so our girls put on poodle skirts.

Fine.

But the word "Halloween" has been replaced with "Fall Festival".

I just don't want to hear any complaints when we enter the "Winter Festival" season in December.

[minimetoo26]

Huh. We don't stay home, since we get one Trick-or-Treater every two years, on average. I used to leave a bowl of candy on the porch, and return to find it untouched. And we're talking giant-sized Pixy Stix! But it's too hard, what with all the houses so far apart, that the kids go into the main part of the neighborhood for efficiency.

So we pack the kids up and head to my s-i-l's house, where my kids set up a haunted backyard that is decidedly not wholesome but quite scary and gory. My two boys who are young enough to Trick-or-Treat have passed that up in order to scare people. Plus two of Stephen's friends joined in this year, since they are too old now for the door-to-door. It was fantastic, with fog machines and strobe lights and people jumping out at you (Rain Man had a Jason mask and a chainsaw, and when he jumped out at me, I tickled him under the chin the way I do at home, and he stopped and said "YOU'RE not a visitor!" But I had put on a black robe and a mask so the kids wouldn't go easy on me...) and it was too creepy for some of the adults.

I took Erin around to get candy with Demon Child. She was Pooh (sans headgear, since she is two and the most obstinate creature I've ever raised) and I saw a bunch of Snow Whites and pumpkins. No skanky costumes, no cars at all, no sickos in the bushes, no tainted treats (and one woman had full-size Snickers! But I picked the full-size M&M's for Erin )

So, there is Scary Halloween for the ones who want to go to the Haunted Yard, and Wholesome Halloween for the little ones. Worked out quite nicely.

[MarleysGh0st]

(Rain Man had a Jason mask and a chainsaw, and when he jumped out at me, I tickled him under the chin the way I do at home, and he stopped and said "YOU'RE not a visitor!" But I had put on a black robe and a mask so the kids wouldn't go easy on me...)

You are EVIL, mini!



I'm sorry I missed the haunted backyard. Sounds great!

[earendel]

Fine.

But the word "Halloween" has been replaced with "Fall Festival".

I just don't want to hear any complaints when we enter the "Winter Festival" season in December.

You won't hear any from me. Christmas is too significant a season to be secularized, sanitized, etc. Plus as a strong separationist, I think schools shouldn't be involved in patently religious emphases.

[littlebeast13]

Huh. We don't stay home, since we get one Trick-or-Treater every two years, on average. I used to leave a bowl of candy on the porch, and return to find it untouched. And we're talking giant-sized Pixy Stix!

Sure, now you tell me! You wouldn't even have returned to find the bowl had I known....

Then again, I'd have had to have gotten out of bed before 8:30 last night....

lb13

[minimetoo26]

(Rain Man had a Jason mask and a chainsaw, and when he jumped out at me, I tickled him under the chin the way I do at home, and he stopped and said "YOU'RE not a visitor!" But I had put on a black robe and a mask so the kids wouldn't go easy on me...)

You are EVIL, mini!



I'm sorry I missed the haunted backyard. Sounds great!

Actually, I'm EEEEEEEEEvil. That's how we say it when I won't do the chin-tickle when he asks. We have a private vocabulary, which pleases him.

The backyard gets more elaborate each year. But it was kind of a rip-off with DST still in effect--you only had an hour of darkness before 8 pm! Then all the kids were off the streets.

[peacock2121]

We had one - Henry - he is 8, I think. He dressed as a nerd - a very good nerd. Large glasses, high water pants, pocket protector, and the walk - the walk almost made me pee my pants.

His dad carried a roll of paper towel - Bounty paper towels - he was a Bounty Hunter!

They got the 2 pound of candy we had.

I wanted to keep the Peanut Butter Cups, but Sting gave them away.

[minimetoo26]

Huh. We don't stay home, since we get one Trick-or-Treater every two years, on average. I used to leave a bowl of candy on the porch, and return to find it untouched. And we're talking giant-sized Pixy Stix!

Sure, now you tell me! You wouldn't even have returned to find the bowl had I known....

Then again, I'd have had to have gotten out of bed before 8:30 last night....

lb13

This year we gave up on leaving out candy. But we still bought two bags on fun-size candy bars. And they're almost gone. Okay--ALL the Snickers are gone and most of the other stuff is evaporating. But my kids don't go out collecting, so they can have treats at home...

[earendel]

This year we gave up on leaving out candy. But we still bought two bags on fun-size candy bars. And they're almost gone. Okay--ALL the Snickers are gone and most of the other stuff is evaporating. But my kids don't go out collecting, so they can have treats at home...

I heard a comedian comment that whoever shrunk candy bars and renamed them "fun" size should be keelhauled.

[MarleysGh0st]

I heard a comedian comment that whoever shrunk candy bars and renamed them "fun" size should be keelhauled.

I'll vote for that!

[minimetoo26]

I heard a comedian comment that whoever shrunk candy bars and renamed them "fun" size should be keelhauled.

I'll vote for that!

They are the root of all evil! I wouldn't open a big Snickers, but think nothing of eating 4 little ones, when the serving size clearly reads "3". They should be renamed "Sneaky Size"....

[kayrharris]

As an addendum to my Halloween Grinch comment yesterday, I honestly wouldn't mind giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Cars were lined up on both sides of the streets in our neighborhood for approximately 2 1/2 miles. There were at least 6 golf carts flying up and down the road and I saw two large flat bed trailers being pulled by 4 wheelers loaded with kids.I may have underestimated when I said 1000 kids would come through here. There were still kids out going door to door at 9:15.