Annie has asked every day for the last two weeks, “Do I get to trick or treat today?” So when she asked me yesterday morning and I said yes, she flipped out. She immediately asked to put on her costume, and then bounced around our house all day like a ping-pong ball.
“I’m trick or treating today! I’m gonna get candy! I am a witch! I love Halloween! Can I trick or treat yet? Now? Now? Now?”
It was a really long day.
Eventually, my mom and aunt came over (my dad stayed home to hand out candy) to see Annie and hand out candy while we walked her through the neighborhood. Annie was so jazzed.
Ready, Mama!
My witch and warlock
My witch and me
Then we were off! I honestly expected her to make it to a couple of houses and then be done. Even though she is older and we’d been practicing, I expected her to be freaked out a bit, just like last year. And unfortunately, I was right. She and Mike made it halfway up our next-door neighbor’s driveway before she stopped and ran back to the sidewalk. We decided not to push it, and took her back home where, of course, she was happy to trick or treat from Gramma.
After seeing how much fun she had trick or treating at our house, we asked her if she wanted to go to other houses. “No. I’m scared.” So instead, we handed out candy.
She loved handing out candy. Like, when she heard kids walking up our driveway she’d shriek with glee. On the flip side, the kids loved getting candy from Annie and glow sticks from me (which, by the way, several other houses were handing out, THOSE COPY CATS).
After several batches of kids came to our door, something miraculous happened: Annie asked to follow them. “Can I trick or treat with the kids, daddy?” So Mike, my mom, and I grabbed her and off we went. The first house we went to ran out of candy right when they got to Annie (we had insane amounts of kids this year – quadruple what we had last year). The man at the door felt so bad he ran into his house and gave Annie his birthday balloon!
That was all Annie needed to completely get over her fear of going door to door.
I KNOW
It was so funny watching her walk up to the doors with the birthday balloon. Several people told her “happy birthday” which completely confused her but cracked me up.
I also had that moment where I realized she had just grown up a little right in front of me, and I got a bit choked up. She was scared, but overcame it. I loved hearing her say, “Trick or treat!” and “Thank you!” without any prodding. I love my girl.
When we got home, she told my aunt all about going to the houses, and then said, “I’m so happy! Can I have some candy?”
As the trick-or-treaters started to trickle off, Annie suddenly realized that Halloween was drawing to an end…and she wasn’t happy about it:
Bedtime!
Kayla says:
No worries sweetheart, that’s how I feel at the end of every Halloween too! But at least there’s plenty of candy left to cheer us up!
My goodness is she big and grown up Heather – to think in January she’ll be three! THREE! I remember waiting for the news of her birth…
Love to you all and hope your Halloween was just simply spook-tacular! Muah!
Lilian says:
Awww, this is so lovely to read and look at the pictures of her. Takes me back to when my girls were that age.
I noticed in the pictures that although Annie looks a lot like Mike, I can clearly see that she has yours and Maddie’s amazing cheekbones. Just beautiful!
Sue says:
I love the pic where you put “I know”. I was thinking the same thing!!!! LOL
Tamela says:
Seriously!
Jackie C. says:
Me too!
ldoo says:
Exactly. Why? Who? Seriously?
Trisha says:
Me too!! I was like “Seriously?!” and then I saw the caption.
Laura says:
Me too! I came to a full stop, raised an eyebrow, and scrolled on to be rewarded with “I KNOW”. LOL
Sue says:
P.S.
Nothing says “good parental judgement” like sending your daughter out in an outfit like that to knock on stranger’s doors in the dark!!!!!!
Alyssa says:
My thought is, maybe neither of them told their mothers they were going out dressed like this. I would hope no mother would think that was a good idea. Here in MI, they would freeze as soon as they opened the door to leave.
Anna says:
Aren’t those girls a little old to be trick-or-treating anyway? Leave some candy for the little kids! Love that Annie got a balloon, though. So cute!
laura says:
oh my! that picture is a classic. lol.
laura says:
oh my! that one picture is a classic. lol.
Savannah101 says:
I saw the picture and said, “I can’t believe what those girls are wearing!” and laughed out loud when I immediately read Heather’s “I KNOW”! We were ALL on the same wavelength!
Becca says:
This is super adorable. Also – that child who Annie is giving candy to has an AMAZING loot bag! I want one!
And I laughed at the “I KNOW” – as I was totally thinking ‘wtf are those costumes?!” right before reading your response.
Lamb says:
When I was younger, why didn’t I ever think to bring a Happy Birthday balloon trick-or-treating with me? I bet she got extra candy from every house!
Vanessa says:
Hey your Hunger Games family costume made it to the Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/family-halloween-costume-ideas_n_2002434.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
Heather says:
oh awesome! Thanks for telling me!!
Finn Reeds says:
I love everything about this post. And the selfless gift of the birthday balloon totally made me laugh/cry with emotion! As if your daughter wasn’t cute enough in her costume, to see her with a birthday balloon trailing along was just too much!
Skye says:
Annie is such a cute little witch! I’m so glad she overcame her fear and went trick-or-treating after all. I’m sorry you’ll have to play panda trick-or-treating for the next month to appease her now that Halloween is over.
Daisy says:
Aww, I’m glad Annie was able to visit some houses for candy. Her costume was pretty adorable- and Heather, your hair looked super cute. Important, I know.
Lisa says:
OMG, she is the most adorable witch I’ve ever seen
Trisha says:
Awesome post Heather! Love Annie’s witch costume. She is too cute for words!
gorillabuns says:
Celia was crying at the end of the night as well. Mostly out of not wanting to grow up and the fear she will be too old next year to Trick-or-Treat. Dude, she’s 9!
Crysi says:
That’s silly! My SIL & her best friend came with us & they’re in their 20s. They weren’t dressed up, but every door they went to tried to hand them candy too!
Heather says:
yeah, I handed out candy to high schoolers – she’s got some good years ahead of her! But I appreciate her fear of growing up. Aw, Celia.
Crysi says:
My girls were exhausted by the end & we were only out for maybe 1hr. My twins loved it, but mostly because their big sister always shows them how it’s done. I’m glad Annie had fun. Leia was spooked about some of the decorations.
Annalisa says:
The kiddo did better at 1 trick or treating than at 2. Part of it is that it was raining cats and dogs, so we skipped door to door and headed to the Children’s Museum, as did every other parent in a 10 mile range. It was packed, and all the normal museum activities had been swapped out for Halloween ones. It got to be so overwhelming for both us that I went home within an hour, screaming kid in tow (she had started screaming 10 minutes earlier, that’s why we were leaving :().
AngieM. says:
cutest little witch i’ve ever seen! and the last picture cracked me up..poor annie! lol
looks like it was a fabulous halloween!
xoxo
shan says:
She is adorable! So glad she was able to go door to door and get some treats! I kept teasing my oldest that he was too old to go door to door if I have to rush him home from football practice to do so! Sadly, I’m gonna miss it when he doesn’t!
Tammy M. says:
I love your girl too – and I’ve never even met her! She is such a cutie!
Mel says:
Love her costume!
Jackie M says:
Most adorable witch ever. And Heather, your hair looks really good!
Amie says:
Loved the “I KNOW” pic… don’t they have cut-off ages for trick or treating? Kids here can’t go past 13… Of course, they could have been young & just “mature” for their age. Whoa is me.
Gwensarah says:
Cut off ages?! Really? I’ll hand out candy to anyone in a costume whether they are 1 or 100. That cut off age mentality is why my son skipped out on Trick or Treating when he was 11-13, because he was so tall he was afraid he’d be lectured and told to go home. I’m so glad that he went this year with his friends, they’re all 13 and 14 and had such a good time being KIDS.
Amanda says:
SO ADORABLE
Brooke says:
OMG the IKNOW pic. Seriously! Too funny. Annie is adorable. Glad she overcame her fear this year. You’re awesome for not pushing her… I think it’s hard for a lot of parents to chill out when they want their kid to enjoy something they know will be fun, but the child is apprehensive (I see this all the time with my niece and nephew and their parents). Anyway, I hope I can be more like you and let my little one make her own way in her own time.
Kerstin says:
Ah, I wish I had photos as great as yours!! This was Evie’s (and our) first American Halloween, and we absolutely loved it – such fun. Even if she did turn into a mute the second any door was opened to her!
Well done Annie, great work! x
Angela says:
I love everything about Annie and her costume – especially that her hair was tied with orange elastics! Excellent detail!
Andrea says:
Okay, I MUST know, where oh where did you get that great costume??? My daughter would love that in a few years (she was the cutest lady bug ever yesterday!). Please tell… We had that same proud/sad moment when our son overcame his fear of the houses and trick or treated last night too. Though it was funny, the 2 houses we went to initially had the scarriest adults all dressed up – pretty dumb considering how all the kids who were out that night were around 2-4 yrs old, scared the pants out of all of them!
Heather says:
We got it at the Spirit Halloween store – one popped up in our mall, but they are online too at http://www.spirithalloween.com/
Cyndy says:
So I was looking at the one pic going “what the?!?” and then I saw your “I KNOW” and laughed till I cried!! Awesome.
Seriously, y’all are amazing parents. Annie is blessed. So glad you enjoyed your Halloween.
Andrea says:
Thanks for the link! Looks like it’s not something the online store had Well, if it’s in good shape and you want to sell it, email me! Or keep it for playing dress up…anyhow, so cute, thanks!
Mommy Boots says:
OMG. The photobombing ladybug and… Um… Bathing.. Suit.. Girl? WHY? JUST WHY?
Anyway. Loved reading her Trick or Treat adventures and that costume is just the cutest. My purple butterfly/fairy/Luna Lovegood (she added a lion hat at the last second) had all her Halloween fun last weekend, then caught croup & developed an ear infection. No Halloween Trick or Treating for us. Boo! It was nice to live vicariously through Annie.
Auntie_M says:
Doesn’t every child’s Halloween end in tears? Or is that just the kids I know? You know, too much excitement + fun + stimulus overload + candy + late night + holiday now over = tears…but again, maybe that’s just here….
Annie is just as precious as can be & I don’t blame her for being scared/timid at first. Way to score on the big birthday balloon!
And I love your photo caption on the way-too-old-and-slutty-to-be-trick-or-treating girls! LOL
Gooooo! Annie!!!