3 posts tagged “halloween”

Control You Kids?

I almost feel bad for the lady who said this to me today. I don't agree with her, but I probably didn't have to call her a nasty old hag.

Lets wrap some perspective around the situation. Sarah woke up in pain yesterday morning about 2am which lead to an entire day at emergency getting tests done. She started off fussy, progressed to a bad temperature, then vomitting and total lethargy during our visit. When we were sent home last night they still didn't know what was wrong and it was scarey (she's fine now). So no sleep Friday, hospital all day then she was also up last night around 3:30am.

Despite the fact that everyone had already picked out costumes, yesterday the kids decided to be pirates for halloween. Since this would illiminate in-fighting on all hallows eve when one person had on a costume someone else wanted, I decided to see what I could pull off. The catch: Joe had to work today, my parents are at the cabin, Joe's mom is sick and Stewart is away - I'm on my own.

I've done this before, so I tried to call Value Village to see when they open... no answer. Checked the website: 10:00am! I packed everyone up and off we went. The plan was to get there as they opened to avoid the crowd and therefore keep a closer eye on the kids. However someone lied to their web site author and they in fact have new "extended hours". They open at 12:00 (irony at it's finest).

So instead we went to wallmart for a while first. I put the kids in a cart and they were awesome. We went back to Value Village at 12:07 and the kids were so excited, they had their little noses squished against the glass looking in the window of the store while I locked the truck. This wonderful fellow who worked there helped us drag up some clothes for 3 pirates and the kids played at pushing through clothes on the racks and coming out the other side and saying "boo" to their sibling. I thought this was cute as I remember doing this myself as a child.

Then this lady with a cart walked up the isle and snapped something at Alex that I couldn't hear. He looked dejected. As I walked up, she pushed past me saying "you should learn to control your kids". She mumbled something about how they should stand next to me and how one of them could get hurt.

Normally, I'd inwardly smile and let it go because the nasty old woman is probably not used to kids and is used to getting away with nasty comments because people are too polite to be mean to the elderly... but in the wake of the day before, she had lousy timing. Also, she made the utimate mistake of saying it in front of Alex who had been so good and helpful all morning. He immediately stopped having fun and put his head down dejected and my hackels went up.

I exaggerated my reaction on purpose and snapped at the lady: "Are you serious? I should somehow contol my 3 kids under 4 in a halloween section of a second hand store because they are playing a harmless game of peek-a-boo? Come on kids, the nasty old hag doesn't want you to have any fun." Her eyes went wide and she hurried off.

*rawr*

Alex went trick or treating for the first time tonight! I wish I had more pictures to show but our camera battery was dead. We'll have to ask the relatives for some of the pictures they took. We started the night witha  visit from "Bomma" Kathy and Granddad Mike who were kind enough to watch the girls while we took Alex out trick or treating with my friend Sherry and her family (Mark, Renee and Jeffery). Alex got upset about 10 houses along so we came home where Aunt Doris and Uncle Frank had also popped over to see everyone dressed up. Alex wanted to go to the house across the street where the lady had a bag made just for him but that was the only house on our street he was interested in. We packed up the family and drove to "Big Grandma" Alice's, "Bomma" Jen and Granddad Don's where we saw the Thistle's too and lastly to Uncle Dan's at about 9:15pm. When we got home we dumped all the treats on the floor for inspection, let Alex eat a couple then put him to bed. Took the poor kid all day Wednesday to get over the fatigue and stuffy nose but he certainly seems to enjoy it! :)

We bundled up the family and I took them to a Halloween party at the gym (Good Life Fitness) above Blackmarsh Road Dominion. Sarah wore Alex's first halloween suit and Samantha wore one my cousin Jennifer let me borrow - both pumpkins. Alex went as a Purple Dragon we bought at Old Navy. I made candy apples that stuck to the wax paper they cooled on, and little coffin shaped sandwiches. There are a few pictures here of Courtney, some of the kids playing or "passing the parcel", Alex out of his suit with a sticker stuck in his hair...It was a fun time :)