If you’re anything like me, you probably remember a time when you started planning for Halloween months in advance. Back then (in those childfree, carefree days), I would look up ways to DIY my own costume, scour thrift shops for unique and spooky decor, and make elaborate treat bags for the kids in my neighborhood. I'd gladly host horror movie marathons (from Wes Craven to Dario Argento) and pumpkin carving nights (complete with pumpkin beer) for my friends. Now that I have a kid? Well, Halloween totally changes once you have a kid so what once was no longer is and, if I'm being honest, those inevitable changes take a little getting used to.
See, Halloween when you, yourself, are a kid is all about your costume and how much candy you can haul in a singe evening (and then how long you can stretch that candy out and/or how quickly you can devour it). When you get older, it becomes this amazing night where you and your friends can party it up whilst pretending to be someone else. However, once you’ve got little ones around, you the all-night free-for-all party ends and the focus shifts so that you’re making sure they have the best time.
That shift is an adjustment, sure, but it’s a pretty awesome feeling when you finally share one of the best holidays of the year with someone who basically knows nothing about it. That's the thing about parenthood: seeing and facilitating someone else's happiness is almost better than simply enjoying something on your own.