It occurred to me this evening as we were trick-or-treating how much Halloween is like a military operation:
- You need prep work: making/buying the costume; getting candy to give out that you & the kids won't eat; setting out a bowl for the kids who come to your house while YOU'RE out trick-or-treating
- You need planning: making sure that the kids actually WEAR and/or bring their costumes to school for the appropriate school activities; coordinating with the moms of your kids' friends to make sure everyone is going with whomever they absolutely MUST trick-or-treat with; figuring out your route so that you get the maximum number of people at home when you go
- You need supplies: bags for the treats, flashlights, bandaids for the kid who forgets that the same steps he/she climbed UP to get the treats are still there going DOWN, jackets in case it gets cold, water in case they get thirsty
And then you need implementation: making sure the kids have eaten SOMETHING nutritious for dinner because I'll be darned if they're eating candy for dinner; making sure the toddler goes to the bathroom BEFORE you've gone too far; making sure the older child doesn't get too far ahead of the younger one who has tinier feet and thus takes 3 steps for every 1 the older one takes; figuring out where the (*&! you are so that the husband (who has left work early) can join in.
Lastly, there's the follow-up: getting the troops home so they sort the candy (Child #1's; Child #2's; stuff we give to kids who come to our house; stuff hubby takes to work); getting two exhausted, sugar-drunk kids to bed.
Happy Halloween....it's over. :))
- You need prep work: making/buying the costume; getting candy to give out that you & the kids won't eat; setting out a bowl for the kids who come to your house while YOU'RE out trick-or-treating
- You need planning: making sure that the kids actually WEAR and/or bring their costumes to school for the appropriate school activities; coordinating with the moms of your kids' friends to make sure everyone is going with whomever they absolutely MUST trick-or-treat with; figuring out your route so that you get the maximum number of people at home when you go
- You need supplies: bags for the treats, flashlights, bandaids for the kid who forgets that the same steps he/she climbed UP to get the treats are still there going DOWN, jackets in case it gets cold, water in case they get thirsty
And then you need implementation: making sure the kids have eaten SOMETHING nutritious for dinner because I'll be darned if they're eating candy for dinner; making sure the toddler goes to the bathroom BEFORE you've gone too far; making sure the older child doesn't get too far ahead of the younger one who has tinier feet and thus takes 3 steps for every 1 the older one takes; figuring out where the (*&! you are so that the husband (who has left work early) can join in.
Lastly, there's the follow-up: getting the troops home so they sort the candy (Child #1's; Child #2's; stuff we give to kids who come to our house; stuff hubby takes to work); getting two exhausted, sugar-drunk kids to bed.
Happy Halloween....it's over. :))
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