That’s a wrap for another epic Halloween.
After realizing last year that we moved into a destination trick or treat neighborhood, we upped our game for the main event. Your Mom irresponsibly purchased two gigantic inflatable spiders for the front yard as well as a movie projector that we used to show movies on the garage door. I also picked up a propane gas firepit so we could hand out candy in the driveway with some warmth.
So far as cosumes, you dressed as the prettiest little witch I had ever seen. The rest of the family went full D.C. with me as Superman, Mom as Superwoman, and Matteo as The Flash.
You got to enjoy two Halloweens, really. On the Friday before Halloween, we drove around for your elementary school’s Trek or Treat event, which was a nice way to visit some friends in other neighborhoods and pre-load on the candy haul. We had some technical difficulties in that I wore a costume with integrated sleeves and gloves, so my phone couldn’t read my hand gestures. I had a hard time accessing the map and had to use the end of my nose on the phone to get to anything, which was odd from the start and got old quick. Even with that costume inconvenience, we got around just find and you two got a candy haul that was equivalent to a good Halloween by most standards — but no match for what was to come.
On proper Halloween, we tried to set off early as a family to trick or treat at some friends’ houses. By 5 p.m. the streets became swamped with families, and I flew home (in Superman costume) to finish our set-up. By 6 p.m. our neighborhood was in full swing with kids lined up by the dozen at every house. Parents confirmed that they drove from other parts of Gig Harbor and Fox Island to come to our neighborhood.
This Halloween felt big. Maybe it was sheer volume of kids that swelled into our streets. Maybe it was the off-duty patrol car the HOA hired to crawl through the streets and scare off any real shenanigans. Maybe it was the fact that I could see what was going on this year, not blinded by the full-face Spider-Man mask I wore last year. To that point, I heard from some dissapointed kids who expected to see Spidey again. I listen to my consituents, so maybe next year?
As for you, well, you braved extensive trick or treating again with your Mom and friends while I held down the base. Matteo folded earlier again this year, but mostly because he wanted to watch a movie on the projector. I think we’re really dialing in our Halloween vibes and can’t wait for the big show again next year. This is the kind of stuff childhood dreams are made of, and we old guys have some fun, too.
Love, Dad