A Halloween Story

As I rooted through my cooking utensils drawer, looking for my lemon zester, (how does the one thing you're looking for always manage to migrate to the back of the dang drawer?), and came across my pumpkin carving tools.   Oh, the memories came flooding back.   I'm going out in a few minutes to buy a pumpkin and carve it, just for the heck of it (Jenny - it'll end up at your house!), and to pay homage to some great Halloween memories with my kids.

One Halloween past, though, wasn't so great for my two boys.  But delicious for their sister.

The kids were old enough that I could sometimes still be at the office (a mere five minutes from the house) when they got off the bus from school.  The oldest was charged with the task to call me the minute they hit the door, if I wasn't there, to assure me they were home.   One particular day was Halloween and everyone was so excited - anticipating the that night's neighborhood trick-or-treating in homemade costumes, and a big junk-food-gorging finale party in a spooked-up neighbor's garage.  All was well until I got the "we're home" call.  The oldest was on the kitchen phone, the younger brother on the bedroom phone and they proceeded to have a screaming argument (over what I don't remember) with me listening.   My office co-workers could hear, and were laughing pretty hard, watching me trying to quietly stop them from arguing until I got home.  When I finally got them to stop and hang up, the peace lasted only a few minutes.  They called again, continuing the argument, yelling at each other and not listening to me.  That was the straw that broke this mother's back.

I quietly hung up the phone and headed out the door for home.  I'll spare the gory details, but the boys were sent to their room and grounded - effectively immediately.   Shock set in.  "But, it's Halloween night!  We have costumes!  All our friends will be there!" they cried.  Too bad.  Should have thought of that before.   Yes, they stayed home with their father while I took their angelic baby sister out trick-or-treating.  Of course everyone asked where her brothers were.  Of course, she took great delight in the telling of their punishment.   Of course, she took extra candy for them from the sympathetic.  

I must admit, it was very hard for me.  Most of the parents and kids openly looked at me like I was the Cruella de Vil of mothers, denying my boys the joys of Halloween Night for such a minor act of misbehavior.  I can tell you this, they never ever called me at work to argue with each other again, that's for sure.  

I'll dedicate the pumpkin to you, Joshua and Jason.  I hope you're not too scarred.  And I hope you all have a Happy Halloween.