Halloween Comparison

This was Travis and my first Halloween as parents. Last year for Halloween we went to a friend's house in Houston for a Halloween party. I was about one month pregnant, so we weren't ready to spread the news yet. I didn't have a baby bump yet, but I was definitely feeling bloated and getting the beginnings of morning sickness. That meant I was not up for a sexy outfit. Instead, Travis wore the sexy outfit:

That Halloween was a little rough because I was not drinking. Sadly, I may have been a regular drinker because everyone was surprised I opted out. The pregnancy was still a secret, so I dodged the drink offers as best I could. It's so strange to think back to that party. It feels so long ago. I have a feeling I will be comparing things between now and a year ago for the rest of my life. Things change so quickly when you become a parent! In my opinion, it's for the better.

So, anyHOO. This year, we went up to Chris and Alexa's for Halloween. Chris was gone on a flight, but he got back around 9pm. Travis handed out candy while Alexa and I went trick or treating with Aiden and Blair. Aiden just took in the smoke and lights that come with Halloween while Blair decided which houses we did and did not go to for candy. By the end of the of the trip, Blair had figured out that he could take candy from each of these houses.

I can only imagine what a strange night this would be for first timers. Random people dressed in crazy costumes handing out candy next to pumpkins and skeletons. Blair was a trooper though! There was only one house that he seemed adamant about not approaching. Instead, he steamed full force ahead, dragging Alexa down the sidewalk with him.

After we went up and down the block once, we headed back to Alexa's driveway to help Travis hand out more candy to kids. Aiden took his bottle and went down for the night, while the adults opened a few bottles (see first photo) of their own and hung out in the chilly night.

One significant difference I noticed between trick or treating in the south versus the north is that everyone sits in the driveway to hand out candy here. Up north, it's usually cold and sometimes raining (or snowing if we were unlucky), so people stick to the indoors for handing out candy. There was the occasional elderly woman who would sit behind her storm door with her bowl of candy so she could watch all the trick or treaters go by. But that was the closest anyone got to their driveway on Halloween night.

This year, I made Aiden's Halloween costume. I really wanted to do something cute that he will probably avoid at all costs in a few years. Maybe not next year, more likely the year after that, Aiden will want to pick out his costume and will probably be something scary or gross. I took full advantage of his inability to understand such things at this point and dressed him up as an owl. It was a HOOT!

I hope you had a safe and happy Halloween!