Rethinking the true meaning of Halloween

In the past, I thought Halloween was only good for buying chocolate on sale and in bulk. I despised trick-or-treaters, and just wanted to turn off the lights and eat my own selection of snack size Hershey's in peace. But since Abbie has been talking about dressing up in a costume and spinning around in a princess dress, I've forced myself to rethink Halloween. I wasn't going to get her a "real" costume since it'll most likely be freezing cold, and she'll have to wear a parka anyway, but she kept talking about wearing a costume to show Papa, Grandma and Uncle Ryan what a princess looks like.

Abbie isn't in this for the treats. She doesn't even like candy. If you ask her if she wants a treat or broccoli, nine times out of ten, she'll pick the broccoli. She wasn't even expecting anything other than the pathetic princess T-shirt I got her a few weeks ago, but yesterday, I realized that she just wants to have fun pretending. She just wants to try something other than the normal routine so we picked up a princess dress, and we'll see how it goes. (My practical side forced me to get something she can wear for years so I hope this princess streak lasts awhile.)

So for our family, this Halloween will be about trying something new and trying to make it enjoyable for others. Our jack-o-lanterns are carved, and our bulk size bag of chocolate is waiting for the trick-or-treaters.