"Happy Happyween!"

"Happyween" (i.e., Halloween) 2008 was Anthony's 3rd Halloween. But, it was his first Halloween in which he was somewhat aware of the whole concept - dressing up, trick-or-treating, candy, "dosts," "pumpah," "spooooooty!" And let me tell you, he had a B-L-A-S-T!

For starters, he got to go trick-or-treating with one of his best friends, Jade, who dressed up as Anthony's other half - Raggedy Ann. They made SUCH a cute pair!


He also got to eat a lot of candy, starting at Dabbah's (Grandma's) house before he even got into his costume. That kid loves his candy. And boy, does he come by that honestly!


Some of the highlights and memories of Halloween 2008 include:

• watching Anthony knock on neighbors' doors...over and over and over...until someone (finally!) opened them



• having to throw off my shoes and run into a stranger's house after Anthony because he assumed that an open door meant that he was welcome to step inside at his leisure


• having to explain to Anthony that it's nice manners to only take one piece, as opposed to one HANDFUL, of candy when the entire bowl is put about 6 inches from your face


• Anthony trying to sample each piece of loot he scored, sometimes before we even made it back down the driveway and onto the sidewalk(!)


• watching him stuff his Halloween candy into a "dost's" pocket because he saw (empty) candy bar wrappers in the ghost's pocket and assumed that's what he was supposed to do with his candy too



• watching Anthony eagerly and excitedly walk down the sidewalk, telling Jade to "c'mon!" because she wasn't walking fast enough


• the sound of Anthony dragging his trick-or-treat bag on the ground behind him because it was too big and heavy for him to keep off of the ground...and the black streaks on the underside of the bag by the end of the night

But above all else, the most special memory I will take with me forever from that night is how innocent and pure he is. Without ever articulating it himself, I could tell Anthony genuinely couldn't have been happier doing anything else that evening. He loved it. And being able to relive the magic of Halloween through his eyes made me feel like a kid again.

The way I felt this Halloween was the way I felt years ago when I was the one out trick-or-treating with my sister and my cousins, each of us carrying around our precious pillowcases filled with candy that we worked hard for. I almost wanted to sit down in the middle of my mom's living room with Anthony when we got back and sort through the candy, making piles of Snickers, Reese cups, Nerds, the inevitable "trade pile" of candy you didn't like and therefore was "tradeable" for candy that you did like just like I used to do with my sister and cousins years ago. But alas, those times, for me, are gone. It is now Anthony's turn.

Thank you, Raggedy Andy, for allowing me to enjoy Halloween as much as I did this year. You probably won't remember much of this Halloween when you grow up, but I want you to know that there was nothing about it you didn't like, including bedtime because you were so utterly exhausted! I'm glad that you had such a good time. It is because of you that it is all so special to me again.