Ah, Fall…the countdown in everyone child’s mind to Halloween. I have been getting my kids all worked up about Halloween for about a month now. Decorations in the store fronts made it that much more exciting, and stopping to stare at the window displays was the highlight of every walk we took.
This morning I woke up and it was finally here: Halloween. My little ones couldn’t contain their excitement and wanted their costumes on right away. They began singing “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas in unison, while smiling and dancing around the living room. Pictures were taken, breakfast was had, and off we went.
Megatron and Iron Man (missing is the 12 year old as a football player)
After a game of football, we headed to Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn to visit some friends and partake in all the festivities. By the time we arrived the streets were filled with monsters, witches, aliens, and other characters in search of candy. My oldest left with his friends…gone are the days when he needs (or wants) me to hold his hand as he heads out to collect candy. So hubby and I were left with the little ones.
What was so cool about this year was that, unlike last year, neither kids were in strollers. With both being able and willing to walk a few blocks at a time, we were able to step back a bit and watch them as they walked up to people’s stoops and asked for candy, their little voices excitedly saying, “Trick or Treat!” and than a coaxed “Thank you!” following it.
It really made my heart happy to see my children’s delight through it all. There was a couple of times when they saw a few characters that scared them a bit, but not enough to keep them from reaching out for candy!
We managed to fill our bags up quickly. The Carroll Gardens community is my favorite one in Brooklyn. It’s way, way more laid back than that of Park Slope and a far more kid-friendly than that of Fort Greene, though those two areas are lovely as well. We than headed over to our friends’ house and enjoyed some wine, home made buffalo wings, and good conversation while sitting out on the stoop handing out candy to little ones. With stomachs full and hearts content, we started making our way back home to Manhattan.
For our kids, the thrill of Halloween was in the weight of their candy bags and in the fun they had joining in on the fun with others. For my oldest, it was in the freedom he was given to venture out, without his parents in tow. For us, it was in the opportunity to bond with our friends and drink and laugh while our kids played nearby.
There was a lot going on in New York City today. There was a lot the i had planned and had hoped to do, but didn’t because of my kids and the schedule we are often committed to for them. But, it was by far, one of the best Halloweens we’ve had in a long time!
What about you? What was your Halloween like? Please share the link to your blog, or leave a comment and let us know!
Isolated Existence
Thanks for sharing your day. It was defintely a great way to spend Halloween, especially with so many parents around. Gives you that safety feel. Great pictures! Btw, the fourth picture caught me off guard, lol.