By The Wiz
My kids are in the second week of fall break, a 3 week break that is possibly one week too long. I love my children, but the school is calling my name. Hey, I never pretended to be Nie Nie. (And if you didn’t cry during her Oprah appearance, than you are either made of stone, or don’t watch Oprah.)
Anyway, today we went to skate country, aka Roller Derby of Death. Fortunately, we had missed the times when we could skate, and ahhhhhhh, sweet freedom. Now I can go home and write my Top Chef post - that is, assuming the internet was working.
But NO. We have to stop and deal with the whole Halloween costume thing, because we live in a country that likes to celebrate random made up holidays by dressing up as skanky nurses and handing out high fructose corn syrup to growing children.
I walk into the store to be greeted by a song about “flirting with the devil.” Ah, hilarity, thy name is Halloween. What fun! And look at these pornographic costumes! They’re totally expensive! And howdy! My son wanted a toy gun for his cowboy costume, and with all the porn masquerading as legitimate costumes, bleeding ’scream’ face masks, and zombies that will eat your brains, (fake brains included!) apparently a gun was just too violent. (Go ahead and judge me for allowing my kid a toy gun for Halloween. If he grows up to be a serial killer, then you can say ‘I told you so’ all you want. Assuming, of course, that he hasn’t killed you first. Also assuming, of course, that we can find a toy gun.)
I swore I wasn’t going to write a “Halloween sucks” post this year. But you know, it just does. And it must be said. It completely ruins October, which is a perfect month otherwise.
This year, I will actually be in Utah for my second set of infusions for my diabetic study. I will miss all the frivolity. Grandma can deal with the trick or treats, and you know what? She’ll like it. So there.
And if I happen to turn the porch light off at my parent’s and turn on a movie that doesn’t involve anonymous phone calls about children, fridays that fall on the thirteenth of the month, or nightmares on a street of any name, well, then, that’s my right.
What was I talking about? Oh, fall break. Right - a long time with the kiddos. It’s all right, of course, and you can bet large amounts of money that a few days into my Utah trip with experimental drugs coursing through my system, I’ll be wallowing in homesickness, longing for their stinky little feet.
Halloween blows.




I never watch Oprah, but I did yesterday so I could see Nie Nie. She was awesome! What an amazing story. And I BAWLED! (Yes! It’s good to know I’m not made of stone!)
Comment #1 by StarababaOctober 8th, 2009 at 10:38 pmAmen sister. I hate halloween also. My youngest is 10 and I am counting down the days until we no longer are plagued with costume dilemas. And what is up with the phornagraphic costues? Seriously.
Comment #2 by PatOctober 9th, 2009 at 10:26 amAnd what I hate most about Halloween? The annual ward Halloween party. I would totally ditch it except it is so hyped up at church the kids have ALL heard about it and the youth are in charge of the games for the primary kids so they are expected to work at it. But mom, we haaaaaave to go. Otherwise who would possibly run the fish pond? Ugh! Could we just do away with it please???????????
Comment #3 by momof8October 9th, 2009 at 11:34 amI remember when “Trunk or Treat” only happened at the church when actual Halloween fell on a Sunday. Now it seems to be an annual tradition. I don’t get it.
Comment #4 by LisaCOctober 9th, 2009 at 1:31 pmHalloween was more fun when you had to put a costume together from what there was at home, and teens were made fun of for trick or treating.
Comment #5 by mormonhermitmomOctober 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pmMy kids go back to school from their 3 week break on MONDAY!! Oh, blessed, blessed Monday!!
I love Halloween’s fun costumes, but not the skanky or scary/gory/evil.
I love our ward’s trunk-or-treat party, too.
I love eating my kids’ candy while they sleep.
Best wishes on your next round of treatments.
Comment #6 by StrollerbladerOctober 9th, 2009 at 3:40 pmGrrr… Never liked Halloween but we brought our daughter home after finally signing the papers for her adoption on Halloween, so it’s a day I’ve got to figure out how to celebrate. I had a professor who turned Halloween into a Sukkot celebration - a Jewish fall festival which celebrates, in Christian terms, Christ coming to dwell in the flesh. I love the idea. I’ll have to look into it.
Comment #7 by SeekerOctober 9th, 2009 at 9:50 pmI love Halloween. Making my kids costumes when they were little was really fun…you don’t have to buy the smutty ones and if you don’t go to those stores at all they will never know they were an option.
Comment #8 by kateOctober 10th, 2009 at 6:41 pmMy daughter never liked trick or treating. So we just answered the door to all the sweet little scarecrows, princesses and ghosts, making sure to ogle at how cute they were as we slipped a tootsie roll into their bag.
Never watched bad movies either, just made spaghetti or chili and had family fun. We were creative to make the kids feel special.
You can make it whatever you want for your own family without it being evil or smutty.
Good luck!!
Ah..making costumes. I can’t. It will make me more miserable than all the smutty costumes combined, and it’s not like my kids want or are allowed those costumes. It’s just that they’re THERE.
I wish my kids didn’t like trick or treating. Just answering the door would be awesome.
I know nothing I say will make Halloween lovers hate it with me, and nothing they say will make me like it. I just really have a nasty gut-reaction to basically, all of it. I thought I had written enough, and people here know how I feel, but it just spewed out.
Comment #9 by The WizOctober 10th, 2009 at 9:19 pmSeeker - Sukkot is my favorite Jewish holiday (married to a jewish man)! A time to celebrate the Fall harvest and give thanks for it. We set up a tent in our house every year as it’s too cold to set up a Sukkah outside (and I’m too lazy to build one) and “camp out” as a family. One year when I had more time on my hands I even cut out cardboard stars, covered them with foil, and hung them from the ceiling of the tent so that we were looking at the stars all night. Honestly one of the best celebrations as it just involves being with family and being thankful for what you have. (sorry for the tangent…)
Comment #10 by JELOctober 14th, 2009 at 7:46 amWell, see, now, that sounds awesome. Let’s start a movement to change Halloween to Sukkot!
Comment #11 by The WizOctober 14th, 2009 at 11:35 amThere’s a great movie about Sukkot, called “Ushpizin”. It’s subtitled in English. Everybody should Netflix it, like, RIGHT NOW.
Comment #12 by Heather O.October 15th, 2009 at 8:48 pmGood day! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog post or vice-versa? My site discusses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!
Comment #13 by Fotograf OsloJune 19th, 2011 at 7:53 am