A Spooktacular Kleckner Halloween

H– Happy Halloween everyone! Our Halloween festivities took place last night, so this is a recap from the evening.

A– Anxiety over carving pumpkins. Until my wonderful husband saved the day. He took charge of the pumpkin carving (he usually does anyway) and even let the kids use a drill to help with the amount of cutting. I stayed in the house. It was lovely and zero anxiety (for me anyway).

L– Lots of candy. Lots. I can’t even get mad at my kids for not being able to settle down after a night of trick or treating. So. Much. Sugar. I have HUGE respect for parents who let the kids pick out one piece and send the rest overseas to starving people in Ethiopia. My kids are insanely protective of their stash. I found a ring pop under my kid’s pillow tonight. Classic.

L– Lots of laughs. If you aren’t from central Iowa, you might not know we celebrate Beggar’s Night here. Instead of saying the timeless “Trick or Treat” you have to tell a joke. It’s super weird and awkward to witness but kids seem to love it. One year a kid said to me “How do you make a Kleenex dance?” And I said, “Put a little boogie in it!” He took his candy and walked away sad. I guess some questions aren’t meant to be answered.

O– Owen dressed as a vampire. He loved the costume, but found it hard to maneuver the joke-telling with plastic fangs in his mouth. He also had his hair colored black. He asked me every day for almost a solid month if I would color it – you know, test it out to make sure it worked. It had nothing to do with wanting to show it off at school. Owen’s joke: What’s a vampires favorite holiday? Fangs-giving.

W– “What’s the difference between a snowman and a snowgirl? Snowballs!” Best joke of the night according to my hubby who handed out candy while I took the kids around. Best costume was Steve Irwin…he had a (pretend) snake around his neck!

E– Emily dressed as a zombie cheerleader. One day she saw this costume at Wal-Mart. The next week it was gone. Not available on their website or Amazon. I went to two Wal-Marts to track this beast down. At the final store, I said a little prayer: Dear God, this is a silly request but I can’t let my daughter down, PLEASE let it be here! I looked down, and THERE IT WAS!! Even the right size! Prayers work people! Emily’s joke: Where do you go if there’s a zombie apocalypse? The living room.

E– Ella dressed as a clown-zombie-mime something. There’s really not a name for it. And she did her own makeup, doesn’t she look great? She also recycled a dance costume from recital last year. Be still my heart. What a thrifty girl…except for the $10 wig she HAD TO HAVE that she ended up not wearing at all. No receipt, no tags. Boo. Literally. Ella’s joke: What’s a cat’s favorite color? Purrrrrrrple.

N– Neighbors! Happy to be able to Trick or Treat with these ladies for the last several years. We are now at the point where we can walk and talk without having to maneuver strollers, monitor candy intake at unmanned homes, deal with crying or tired kids, or scream at the kids to WATCH FOR CARS!! Well…maybe still a little of that. You gals are the B-E-S-T!!