The grandchildren were able to make a day visit this past weekend, and we decided to find a pumpkin patch for a head start on Halloween. That holiday is a special one as it’s their dad’s birthday.

When Chris was born, I remember thinking he’d enjoy having his birthday on a day when he could dress up and get free candy.

But he didn’t really get to celebrate his big day because his friends had no interest in attending a birthday party when they could be walking around at night in a ninja costume getting free Hershey bars and candy corn.

So we planned ahead and had his party a week early. That strategy stuck with us, and when the grandchildren were able to visit, we went pumpkin hunting early.

At the pumpkin patch, there were dozens of pumpkins in every shape, color and size. As the grandchildren roamed the spacious lot, they examined and judged almost every single pumpkin.

Few made the cut. Too bumpy. Too tall. Too short. Too round. Not round enough. Too big. Too small. I told them the only requirement was that they had to be able to carry their choice to the car.

Immediately 10 were eliminated from the running.

With their best of the best safely in their arms, we made our way home where supplies were waiting.

We’ve elevated our game from when a knife and a long spoon were the only tools needed. For our sons, the decorations were whatever they drew with a crayon and their dad handled the carving duties.

As grandparents, the sky’s the limit. I had stick-on jewels in every color, pipe cleaners, orange pom-poms, googly eyes, sheets of Halloween stickers, markers, Sharpies and bottles of paint.

The older two decided they wanted theirs carved while the younger two wanted theirs whole. Later I found out it was so they could cuddle the small pumpkins while their older brother and sister wanted to put a candle inside to make theirs scarier.

While we were decorating, I started thinking about Halloweens when their dad was young.

I’ll admit it — I wasn’t the best costumer. When my boys played baseball, I convinced them to be baseball players. During the soccer years, they were, yes, soccer players.

There was a year the boys went as salesmen, complete with a shirt and tie – not my best year – and the year they were pre-teens and went as road kill, an idea I borrowed from a friend.

There was the year I spent two weeks making a Flash costume and a clown costume, and they played in those for the next two to three years. Ninjas and mummies were always easy, and I’d offer extra candy if they’d choose those ideas.

One year, the youngest boy wanted a Wolverine costume he’d seen while trick-or-treating.

I didn’t order the costume, thinking he’d forget.

He didn’t.

For a solid week after Halloween, he said Santa was going to bring him that Wolverine costume. When the costume finally came back in stock in early December, I had to pay extra for expedited shipping, but the costume was waiting for him on Christmas morning.

Happy hunting out there all you vampires, princesses and puppy dogs. Here’s hoping your plastic pumpkin is overflowing with Reese’s peanut butter cups, Kit Kats and lollipops.

And, for us, the best treat of all, happy birthday Chris.

 

Denise’s email is dhadams1955@yahoo.com.