Surviving Another Halloween

"Brian are you ready for trick or treating? "

One simple question that brought on a tantrum like no other.

He threw himself on the floor as I held his Scooby Doo costume that he picked out and repeated, "Remember you get candy! ".

Twenty minutes elapse and nothing has changed except I have an anxious Corbin at the door waiting for his brother.

Finally Brian rips the costume out of my hands and throws it on,though still screaming through the whole ordeal.

He runs outside still crying and howling. Imagine how much louder he gets when I approach him with a hat and mittens.

I'm wishing, at this point, we could just skip the whole tradition. However, I have another child who had been waiting for this night to arrive for weeks.

We drive to our usual Halloween neighborhood and Brian immediately jumps out of the car still screaming.

I'm starting to wish I brought noise-cancelling headphones for myself.

Instead of saying "Trick or Treat" at the doors he just cries obnoxiously and knocks over any children in his way.

Six houses later I realize he has stopped crying.

Is that a smile?

Now he's leading the group of kids we're with.

When I ask him to wait for the other kids he does all while saying "Gotta gotta gotta walk! ".

He never once tried to go into a stranger's home. That's huge progress from previous years.

He always took just one piece of candy and always grabbed something he knew he could have (lots of lollipops).

It was a rocky start for sure but we persevered and conquered another holiday.