Happy Birthday to Nancy!

Candy Trades were a huge part of my childhood Halloweens. Different pieces were valued differently and by 3 days after Halloween, I usually just had the stuff worth nothing left. You know the stuff, peanut butter nastiness wrapped in orange/black paper, the weird flavored tootsie rolls, little tasteless bubble gum, atomic fireballs, etc. Luckily my sisters and I came up with a brilliant thing to do with our leftover rejected Halloween candy. Three days after Halloween, we could wake our older sister up by chucking candy at her. Her bed was up high and it was so much fun to stand right out side her door and throw it at her while yelling "Happy Birthday". Weren't we the best little sisters ever!
One year I finally realized that giving her all my rejected candy was probably not as generous a gesture as I had tried to convince myself it was. So I saved up enough money to buy bubblegum at the high school candy store. I wasn't in high school, nor was I allowed to have bubble gum so I sent Nancy to buy the contraband. She asked what kind I wanted, and so as calmly and and casually as I could, I said I couldn't decide and so maybe she should just pick out her favorite kind. After school she brought me the bubble gum (I think it was pink lemonade), which I then wrapped and gave back. I think she was genuinely surprised that it was meant for her, after all everyone knows I am terrible with surprises, (just think of her pink elephant slippers).
So this year I have really good left over candy, as my kids don't even pick the snickers bars, and we have a huge bowl of all the best Halloween candy (except not a single butterfinger). This morning I would like nothing more than to dump the bowl right over Nancy's head to wake her up in a gesture of hoping she has a great birthday. However she lives to far away. But if it is the thought that counts ,then Happy Birthday Nancy, I hope you have a great birthday that is filled with your favorite treats, and not just peanut butter nastiness!

Candy and more Candy!

Oh what a veritable smorgasbord, after the end of day! Indiana Jones, Shirley Temple, Batman, a menacing Pirate, and Superman took home quite the haul of candy last night. Our first stop was to Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's. The kids were excited to begin, but Andrew did not quite grasp the concept. He even left his bucket with the candy sitting on the front step. We then headed to the church for games and trunk or treating. While the older kids played games, Andrew finally discovered the candy in his bucket, he was quite pleased with taking it out and dropping it back in over and over again. Then before we knew it, it was time to head out to the parking lot for the trunk or treat portion. The kids were thrilled to run from car to car. Honey was ahead of me with the older kids and I carried Andrew. I have never seen his eyes get so wide! He couldn't believe person after person dropping candy in his bucket. He began to hold very tightlty to the bucket. After that we stopped at two more houses, and each time we loaded and unloaded he clung to the bucket not wanting to let go to be buckled.

When we stopped at Papa and Grandma Nelson's Andrew would only allow candy into his bucket, not the boxes of cereal or the cheese and crackers, he wanted his bucket filled with only candy. Sam made the kids mission clear when Grandma Nelson opened the door, instead of "Trick or Treat" Sam declared "We are here for candy!"

When we arrived home the kids dumped all their candy on the table and went to town. At the time of the picture, Andrew has 3 whoppers, and a milky way bar in his mouth. They had such a blast!