Halloweenie

You will find as time goes on I talk alot about my kids. I have three, four if you count the husband. Alec is the oldest and 20, then Ellie who is 19 and last but not least Meredith 9 going on 30.

Right now it's the beginning of the Candy Season and Meredith is ready for one of those youthful activities we call Trick or Treating.


Remember Halloweens of the past? I was talking with someone this morning and he commented that make sure that it's memorable for the kids. In my years of dressing up and spooking around, we had it so easy. Pillowcases because we never could find a large enough bag for the haul. Jumping out of bushes and stealing the other kid's candy. Or just the fact that we could eat what we received as soon as we walked away for the door. The popcorn balls that were handmade, fresh apples, rice krispee treats or the guy who worked at the bread bakery and gave out fresh mini loaves of bread.


Nowadays-we have to look for pin holes in the wrapped, nothing homemade, xray the bag looking for something sinister. Kids don't go out alone, no staying out till all the porch lights were off. What have we come to?


We went to the FFA National Convention last week. Alec was getting his American Degree. It's really hard to get and only 3000 kids got it this last year. 490,000 members nationwide and as of Saturday morning 51,000 members and guests were in Indianapolis for the Convention. WOW!

I had attended 5 different conventions, all in Kansas City, over my FFA career and subsequent chaperon details. I forgot how much I missed it. It still amazes me the qualities that these kid's poses. They are genuinely nice, courteous, polite, they have fun but don't disrupt, they show their FFA and American pride but welcome anyone with open arms. I can't wait for Meredith to get her blue jacket. But for now, I need to figure out how to display Alec's three!

I also forgot how proud I am of what all my kid's accomplish. In the day to day world, some things become routine-oh yeah, you're off to do this or that or we have to go watch this play, do this activity. It's always great to step back and be proud of what your kids have become.

And why do we as parents do all this? Paint their faces, spend hours at the sewing machine for a costume for one night or drive hours to watch them walk across the stage for 30 seconds of glory? Because a little bit of us is in all of them. We get to be proud, we get to be parents, damn, we have had to grow up but a little bit of our childhood is still alive in our kids. I'm happy with who they are, they are their own person, but as my dad says-there's a little bit of me in each of them. Or as he keeps reminding me, it's fun to watch me get what I gave him growing up-can you hear his evil laugh now?

So have a bountiful Candy Season and be a kid for awhile! Enjoy it the warm weather while you can--snow is around the corner.

Later gators~~
C