The Halloween I Lost My Son...

It just didn't FEEL like Halloween here last night. I mean didn't school just start a week ago? *sigh* I think we're over-done, over-baked, half-baked, whatever. It doesn't matter, so long as I keep getting these little blue cocktails.

The night before Halloween I passed by the porch where the pumpkins sat. THE PUMPKINS!! We didn't carve the pumpkins this weekend and John is teaching school tonight! Awww mannn....so Alex washes them off, Cody hauls them inside and we commence to gut the pumpkins. It's going well...until I notice Alex is getting very quiet. He notices it isn't the same without John. I broke the no calling Daddy in class rule and let him call. Dad would cut class a little short and get home. All was well in Alexville.

Awhile back, Alex saw 'bling' at the store he thought would make a fine addition to Halloween. I told him no--I wasn't going to let my son be a pimp for Halloween. Banter, banter banter, we check out with bling. But that's IT, no pimp clothes. So he made do with what he had, an ape mask and a hat. Very scary ape!

This is Pam and...are you ready for this? GIDGET! Not kidding...it's Gidge with a little hat on! I don't think Pam named her after me, Gi. Isn't she adorable? The dog, not Pam! Okay, Pam is adorable too. And a great cook, she made chili for all of us (there were other families there too). I'll forgive her for forgetting to get ketchup because she forgave me for not remembering to put sour cream in the cornbread casserole.

Niki and her friend stopped in (they live in our neighborhood). They were off to have fun with other kids but she wanted to stop and tell us where she was going. Between you and I, I think she wanted to stop by and see Pam's son (seen there in the middle) but shhhh!

Where was Cody? you ask? Well, hmmm...gosh! We left him...ummmm, lemme think...Cody who? We're trickorating the houses, all the adults staying on the streets, when Mary tells Pam this next house redid their kitchen and it was to die for! Well Pam...that's all she needed to hear. Motions fervently for me to me to hurry up to the porch. Actually her words were "just play along Stacey". She wants to see if she can glimpse the kitchen from the porch. Psshhh! Okay, okay....I have no idea who these people are, so what do I care how stupid three women with big toothy grins pasted on their faces, looking beyond the candy person, on their tiptoes. To see whatever it is she's got going on back there!

The door opens and there's the mom of the house. With a crowd of teenagers behind her. I quickly scan the faces with mild interest. Cody!!! Hey bud! Whatcha doin here? Yes, there was my son. That's what was going on back there! This is where he went, and I had no idea who this family was. Turns out I wouldn't know this girl because her mom won't let her visit houses unless she meets the mom. So she's never been to our house because we've never met. Until now.

Do you think she noticed I didn't know he was there? Is this bad? She might think I should have known where my son was. The truth is Cody has never broken our trust, he knows the power of the momma stare. So I just trust he'll make good choices. That and I really was in a big hurry to get there--dinner!!

She did invite us in to see her kitchen (well...Alex was begging for a drink of water). And we thanked her, trapsed back through the house, waved goodbye to Cody and went about our way collecting candy for ourselves to munch on day and night each time we pass bythe little ones. That's our Halloween and I'm stickin to it!

After about an hour of sorting through and sampling candy, I allowed him to sleep on the couch with a movie. Before I went to bed he said "Mom? Can I please have a snack? A healthy snack?". Who IS this child?