You're never too old to Trick or Treat...

Halloween is over! Yay! I am not a fan of Halloween in that I think it is a gigantic pain in the butt, the decorations aren't pretty and cheery (like say, Christmas ones) and the endless candy eating is no friend to my aforementioned butt.

The one saving grace about Halloween for me? My kids still get into it.

Blake went to school dressed as a Zebra. She looked cute but it wouldn't exactly have won costume of the year. Ellie dressed up as a Woodland Fairy Princess and looked cute as well, though again, not enough oomph in the costume for my liking.

So when Blake told me she was going trick or treating with a few of her friends, naturally I was suspicious. I mean, let's face it, four Seniors out trick or treating doesn't particularly sit well with me mainly because as any good parent, I didn't believe that was ALL they were really going to go do. Blake is a very good kid but that doesn't mean I don't question her every time she goes out.

Plus, come on, Seniors do not go trick or treating. They just don't. So what were they REALLY going out to do? I outright refused to let her out at first, then when I finally relented, gave her a curfew that a ten year old would have laughed at. So I relented I tiny bit on that as well because as Blake so astutely pointed out, she was a good kid, always obeyed my rules, got good grades and basically does what she is told to do.

Damn, I hate when her logic crushes my overly dramatic imagination. Okay, but I made her swear on my life they were really just going trick or treating. There would be no booze and no vandalism, aka egging or TP'ing others or other's property.

I SWEAR MOM! WOW!!!

I had her repeat who was going, again, and since those kids are all, well, basically awesome, I gave her the go ahead.

Then got a little too control-y with her choice of costume. I told her if she was going to embarrass me by trick or treating at 17 years old, then she at least needed to look badass. And yes, I actually used the word badass with her. I know, I know, bad mother, bad mother.

So I rounded up things to whip out a pirate costume for her and between that and her bestie, Izza, she looked awesome. I was quite proud.

Then it was time to get The Toots ready. And guess what? She was a pirate too because let's face it folks, you don't get much more badass than my Toodle Bug. Plus, she sometimes gets this certain little smile and it totally looks like a pirate saying, "ARRRGH!!" Love it.

And while Ellie did not actually participate in the trick or treating, she did something so scary I can barely speak of it.

She started Driver's Ed. *cue window shattering, bone chilling scream*

As in previous years, we loaded up the Dread Pirate Toodle Bug and took her to my dad and Ann's to help hand out candy to other trick or treaters. Four of whom turned out to be her sister and friends. Yup, they pulled up in a Suburban and came in for a photo op. Now is it just me or do you think that if you are capable of legally driving yourself around in a vehicle, perhaps you are just a tad too old for trick or treating?

But they are just such a good bunch of kids that I ended up being proud that they had the heart, and at their age, the cajones, to go do it. And not be embarrassed at all. Just having a blast all together getting to be little kids again. And you know what? There is a whole hell of a lot worse things they could have been out doing.

And the best part? Blake was home even before the first, ten year old curfew that I gave her. When she got home I noticed she had upgraded her choice of hat. When I asked her about it her response was, "I left a Captain and came home a Commodore!"

That's my girl...