Black and white and grays of Halloween....

I'm a naturally see things in black and white.  Things go in this box or the other, it is right or wrong.  But there have been many grays revealed to me over the years and yet another one again.
So, confession, I've been against Halloween for some time.  It started in 4th grade.  I listened to this program on the radio and heard about the origins of the holiday and wanted nothing to do with it.  So as a shy child I managed to let my teacher know and during the class party I went office to the library.  I can still remember how all the lights were off and the librarian was dressed like a witch.  Not the popular way to spend a holiday, but it was important to me to stand up for what I believed in.

Don't get me wrong, I love costumes and seeing kids dressed up. I even dressed up in costume myself every weekend while in college for two years (insert random fact about me: I was a kid party entertainer.  Yes, a clown but, also, a princess - I like to focus on the princess part!).  Then there is the fact that I have also been learning more about the toxicity of sugar.  I know, I know, booo on wanting to hear about that but I can't ignore the facts and feel okay about giving such to the daughter I love so much.  So trick-o-treating.....didn't see a plus there.

Then I came home on Halloween and thought about how my littles don't get to get out of the house that much any more, as we are blessed to have our babysitter come to our home during the week (VERY BLESSED).  I wanted Zo to be able to get out, so to some random church carnival we went, adorned with her dress-up princess outfit. 

She loved it, not the huge crowds, not the little kid games (when they asked if she wanted to play them she would reply "nope!") but just being out and about was fun and getting handed candy (which she really didn't know much about).  On the way home I allowed her to have a jellybean (I know, I know, I'm crazy - but yet just one bean - which she was very happy about).  "I love special beans!"

Then we pasted by our neighbors, some with their lights on, and I realized that in a way it was as if they were asking for us to come meet them, so we did.  I think some were a little taken a back when we just didn't get our candy and go, and always the whole family seemed to come to the door, to want to get a glimpse of the cute kids that were with us.  It was awesome, I was hooked!  I could care less about the candy (although the foreign gentleman that just got home and dumped two huge candy bars and eight speciality chocolates into my daughter's bag was kind of a special treat for momma) but people wanting, waiting and enjoying a brief visit, all of whom we have never met in the couple years that we have been living here, awesome!  What a "special treat" as Zoe would say.  I must say that I liked seeing the grays of the holiday and plan on doing it again next year!