Well Hallowe'en fast approaches us again. As a child I was not allowed to go out for Hallowe'en like my chums were.

I would sit at the window in my Mom's kitchen and watch all the the kids come up the driveway in their costumes and I would wish I could be out there with them. I would see the parents waiting for the other kids and watch the kids run back to them in glee with whatever treasure they received from my Mom.

I would envy the little witches and ghosts and all the other scary costumes and cutesy costumes that would knock on our door.

My Mom would hand out fresh baked things and maybe some fruit to go along with it for the kiddies. She would pretend to be so scared of the ghosts and witches and the kiddies would howl with laughter. Long after I had gone to bed at my regular 8 p.m. bedtime I would hear the kids coming to the door and hear the laughter outside. I would fall asleep wishing in my mind that I too was out trick-or-treating.

The next day the kids would bring goodies to school and some of them would share some of their things with me. The teacher usually had a Hallowe'en party for us in class and I would look forward to that every year. We would spend all week cutting and pasting decorations for the classroom window and the walls and that is one thing I absolutely loved doing. I have always been fascinated with colour and decorating so this was right up my alley. 

Everyone would wear costumes and have a blast. My parents refused to waste hard earned money to buy a costume but my Mom would let me have old sheets or pillowcases and I always came up with something or other that worked for a costume.

The first time I ever went out for Hallowe'en was when I had my own children and I loved it !!!  I took great delight in making them costumes and going with them and listening to their squeals of laughter as they pretended to be scared of each other. As they ran ahead of me I would take great delight in watching and listening to them. Long after I was tired out they still were going house to house collecting pillow cases or big plastic pumpkins full of goodies as I dragged my butt behind them. LOL 

That is back when it was safe to let your children participate in Hallowe'en fun. By the time my oldest was around 11 it was time to be afraid of letting them eat what they so trustingly collected from the neighbourhood. 

My niece got candy one year laced with fertilizer used in a greenhouse. She spent time in the hospital with a mouth and throat full of blisters. One of my nephews bit into an apple and got a sliced up mouth from razor blades imbedded in the apple.

 I decided  that I could not take that kind of chance with my kids and I changed Hallowe'en in our house. I would take them to the store and let them have $10.00 worth of any junk food they wanted and we would rent movies and have a stay at home Hallowe'en. Sometimes some of their friends would come over as well. 

My girls never really complained about my new rule for Hallowe'en because they were quite smart and knew it was because of safety. They would hand out candy at the door to the other kids that knocked and they would giggle at all the costumes.

We would pop popcorn and I would bake goodies and we would curl up and watch movies until we fell asleep. I knew as long as they were there with me they were safe from the cruelty that was out there in some sick people's minds.

It is so sad that today there are those out there who take pleasure in harming our children and ruining what once was innocent fun for them. It makes me sick to think of the evil minded people who want to hurt little kids.

Please folks watch over your children on Hallowe'en and please, please, please check all their candy before you allow them even one single bite !!!

until next time 
hugs
Misker