HALLOWEENY DAYS

Scott and I were just talking yesterday about my thing with traditions and holidays. I feel like I'm growing up quite a bit and letting some traditions slide, but I guess there's still a huge part of me that loves green pancakes on Saint Patrick's Day and making your twenty-four year-old husband go on an Easter basket search. I love this time of year... back to back celebrations. Halloween... Thanksgiving... Christmas.... New Year. Right now I'm looking out my front window and there is a thin layer of snow on my jeep. The snow is coming down steadily, I can't wait to head to the mountains!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. My favorite costume as a kid was the year I was Raggedy Ann. Of course I had to wear my winter coat over my costume... but them's the breaks when you live in Salt Lake. It's funny, Scotty was Raggedy Andy for Halloween when he was a kid.

There have been plenty of years when we trick-or-treated in the snow. I always trick-or-treated with McCaye. We had the best time. When I got a little older, I remember trick-or-treating with Sarah Sweeney a few times and then watching a movie at her house. I think fifth grade was the first and last time I watched "Back to the Future."

This is who I'm going to be for Halloween this year. Hopefully we'll find something festive to do on Halloween so I don't end up wearing this costume around the house, just the two of us. I don't know if Scott finds it as amusing as I do... but if I had my way, I'd wear a costume every day of my life.

A few of my favorite memories about Halloween. Number One is carving pumpkins. Scott and I have yet to do this! I can't believe how lame I've become in my old age.

Number Two: It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I should organize an amazing Halloween date night with Scott where we do all the things on my list... Too bad our only free weeknight was last night.

Number Three: Candy corns and pumpkins. Johnny used to buy these candies by the bagful the SECOND they were at Dan's Grocery Store. This year Scott discovered caramel apple candy corns.

Number Four: I used to always watch Winnie-the-Pooh Spookables movie as a kid when Halloween rolled around. Thankfully, my nephew Andrew has been watching this movie ever single sunday when he comes for dinner since MAY... so I've gottent that movie completely out of my system. In fact, I might just lay that tradition to rest from now on.

Number Five: I remember Sue and Doug's Halloween birthday parties. I also remember haunted houses in the Badger's basement. We used to blindfold people and make them put their hands in bowls of spagetti and tell them it was brains.

Number Six: When we were kids and finished our trick or treating for the night, my brothers and sister and I used to lay out our candy in a highly organized fashion. That's the only way to lay out the goods for proper trading purposes. Doug always had the most. Johnny's was always a cute little pile, but he turned into a candy maniac as he got older.