Hallowquaranteen

True Confession time: I hate Halloween. This just isn’t my thing, you know? Spiders and ghouls and skeletons… Yuck. I am more Buddy the Elf than Jack Skellington.

My mom doesn’t like it, either. I don’t think Dad cares one way or the other. Growing up, we would have a family party where Mom would make cheesecorn and caramel apples and Dad would make his famous caramelcorn. We’d play board games and just hang out, us four. We were a tribe and I loved it. Any excuse to hang with my three favorite people and eat junk food was a-ok with me. I’ve never been to a Halloween party, although I do remember a Harvest Party at a church once – Mom loaned me her dress from their second wedding and made me a crown of flowers and I was Queen Ruth. Stop snickering – I was 8.

Every year, Bean begs me to accompany the kids trick-or-treating. I’m 41 and have never been, nor do I ever plan on doing so. That’s Melissa’s gig and she loves it. I stay home and hand out candy and pretend I like costumes of witches and devils when they ring the doorbell. You’d think a holiday devoted solely to candy would flip my switch, but it’s too dark and I’m a little bit chicken. This year I have Covid and am on quarantine, so I have the best excuse to skip any festivities. Next year I’ll have to get creative with excuses because Pook and Boogie will be three and rearing to go. I’ll come up with something.

I did make caramelcorn, although the effort left me pitifully tired and required a nap. No pumpkins this year because we can’t go to the store. I am planning on watching Nightmare Before Christmas with the kids, which doesn’t count as a Halloween movie since it’s actually about the best holiday of the year. November starts tomorrow and I’m already working on talking Dad into putting up the tree. I’m not even a little bit sorry. I’m ready to take 2020 by it’s scrawny, emaciated neck and wring whatever joy it’s hiding out. This year has been one big giant bag of suck and I don’t feel one iota of guilt in looking for the happiness.

Happy Halloween, or whatever. Tomorrow starts Cocoa Season and I’m coming for y’all with all the jingle bells and glitter. Tonight is the night to feed the kids Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for dinner and watch Tim Burton try to ruin my favorite day.