My First Halloween...

This will be the first Halloween that I will be without a child dressed in costume with whom to roam the streets of Irvington. Over the years, my kids have been:

* a bag of trash - Rachel
* a dead football player - Sammy
* dracula - Joel
* mad scientist who killed people - Joel
* dentist who pulled his own tooth - Sammy
* fancy belle of the ball complete with evening gown and water-filled balloons for boobs - Rachel
* Ninja - Mikey (for the past 4 years)
* Annakin Skywalker - Mikey
* Buzz LightYear - Mikey

We had a big Halloween party a couple of years ago, complete with fog machine and supper in a pumpkin (very yummy!).

But this year, since Mike and I are separated, Mikey will be with him. We already bought Mikey's costume . . . a bright, red ninja costume. I can just imagine him running up and down the driveways with his cousins yelling, "Happy Halloween!" Years ago, my kids decided they didn't want to shout the traditional "trick or treat" when folks opened their doors. Instead, they decided to yell, "Happy Halloween!" and it stuck.

From the year Rachel was a bag of trash with gum wrappers stuck in her picked out hair, to Joel being a vampire and actually taking a sip of "vampire blood" at one house (much to my horror), to Sammy being a dentist who pulled his own tooth and the black kept coming off of his tooth all night long, it's been an amazing and spooky adventure.

It's difficult to think about this being the last year for trick or treating with my children. Mikey's 10 years old and likely won't be interested in this particular activity much longer. So, although I am happy that Mikey is spending time with his dad and cousins, I am sad for myself.

Irvington will have to celebrate Halloween without my four precious little goblins this year.