I Still Have Plenty of Time Before the Trick-or-Treaters Get Here

Let me start with this: What is wrong with kids these days??

When I first found out that I got to dress up in anything I could imagine (SCORE!) and people would give me candy (DOUBLE SCORE!!), it went pretty much something like when Fez found out on That 70s show.

I went ToT-ing all through high school.  In fact, the last time I went ToT-ing, I was 24. Yes, you read that right.  I had an awesome costume and the kids I was walking with barely dressed up.  Since I deserved the candy way more than they did, I started going to the doors with them.  Absolutely one of my finest moments.  See below.

 I mean really, it would have been a shame to NOT go ToT-ing with this costume.

So, back to kids these days.  I don't know if it has something to do with relocating and it's actually Texas kids or if it has to do with the generation, but here are some of my pet peeves about ToT-ers these days/here in Texas:

1. NJ had a snow storm this weekend.  Although this is rare, I remember it being SUPER cold on Halloween.  This always put a damper on costume selection.  What's going to look good with a TON of layers underneath?  Also, it has to still look good without the layers because I have to wear it to school too.  The current temperature in Houston is 70 degrees and the sun is shining.  This is literally what I would have dreamed about when I was a kid.  It is now 5:30. No ToT-ers. LAME

Note to kids: To maximize the amount of candy, and isn't that what it's REALLY all about, the earlier you start, the more houses you hit, the more candy you get. That's just simple math.

2. Before we lived in our house in Texas, we lived in an apartment just a few miles up the road in the next town over.  My first Halloween in Houston went something like this (keep in mind I was unemployed at the time): Hubby warned me that we wouldn't get any ToT-ers. I insisted this was true of his first Halloween here because he must have been working late, and he missed them.  I bought a ton of candy and waited anxiously all day--sort of like kids do to go ToT-ing but I was just really looking forward to getting to see the kids in their costumes.  Finally at about 3:30 or so, the school bus pulled up to the front of the complex.  Our apartment was in front so I always knew when the kids were coming or going. I watched again anxiously as the kids got off the bus in their costumes.  Then I sat and waited by the door.  And then waited some more.  And then some more.  By the time Hubby came home at 6:00, not a single ToT-er came to the house and he found me alone on the couch with the candy bowl almost in tears.  I think if you could hear my heart that day it snapped something like a Kit-Kat bar.

Note to kids: Apartments are the MOTHERLOAD.  There are more doors in a smaller area.  This means MORE candy and LESS working for it. Again, SIMPLE MATH!

I was soon told that Texans do not ToT in apartments.  Apparently, the kids here are pretty snobby and don't think they'll get good enough candy slumming it in the poor apartments.  They travel to neighborhoods to get their candy.

3. Fast forward to two years later.  I was super excited for our first Halloween in our house.  We live in a beautiful big neighborhood.  I was sure this was going to be so terrific that it would make up for the last 2 years.  Halloween was a Sunday and just like this year, the weather was gorgeous.  When Halloween fell on the weekend when I was a kid, I spent most of the day begging my mother to let me start and then I'd inevitably go out early in the afternoon.  See note: the earlier you leave the more candy you get.  Each hour passed by and not a single kid. I eventually brought my candy bowl outside with me and sat on our front stoop.  Hubby yelled at me to get back in the house.  He said I was looking desperate. 

This is when I learned that kids in Texas do not ToT until after dark.  I know. I know. I sound like a broken record.  But those are precious hours that these children could have been getting FREE candy.  It's FREE. ABSOLUTELY FREE. I feel like no one told these kids this.

See last year, I made plans to go out in the evening.  I mean Halloween was on a Sunday for Pete's sake! I assumed I'd be out of candy by 4 o'clock.  I begged my friend to put her BIRTHDAY dinner on hold for an hour so I could see a couple of kids and she obliged.  I saw about five all together.  I never left the front stoop.

This year I'm not going anywhere.  Hopefully, this will be my year.  I went to Sam's Club and bought full size candy bars.  I'm hoping the word will spread and my house will be THE place to stop. 

Fingers crossed!