Svenson Chronicles: Trick or Treat

OK - I promise, the kids do have other clothes. Tonight we all went on a Halloween hayride for Trick or treating. What a difference a year makes. Last year, Madelyn was sort of into it and Thomas fell asleep on the hayride. This year was a whole different story. Madelyn was up at 7:00 shouting down the steps "Happy Halloween!" Thomas was saying "Trick or Treat" and "I'm gonna get some M'N'Ms" all day long.

The party started inside the club house that was decorated as one of the best Haunted houses I've seen. The entire staff was dressed in costume. I was beyond impressed. Thomas, not so much, he had a death grip on me. Madelyn was in complete Awe. After some quick dinner, we went outside to hop on the shiny new tractor and hay filled trailer. It was a GORGEOUS evening, couldn't ask for better weather. There were about 40 kids that participated in the hayride. Most of the a lot bigger and more experienced in this whole event. Madelyn caught on pretty quickly. She met a 6 year old little witch that befriended her and really showed her the ropes. Thomas was pretty much Daddy's dude during the trick-or-treating.

The official events ended at the club house with some prizes for "best costumes". Madelyn spotted the Cabbage Patch Doll prize earlier in the evening and staked her claim on it. She has three others at home so I thought this was strange. She wasn't on the trailer at the point the prizes were awarded, and despite her being at the foot of the "wizard" awarding the prize, she didn't win. I have NEVER seen this child so heart-broken. She is not the child that sees and demands toys or anything for that matter during our weekly shopping excursions. But, nothing could distract her from the the disappointment, not promises of surprises from Mammy, not offers to drive the car home, nothing. She wanted that Baby Doll. Well,Thank God for the (excuse my language here)"Oh Shit Box" we have stored away at home. Guess what I had in there, a brand, spanking new CABBAGE PATCH DOLL, still in the box. Bjorn and I each had a car to drive back to the house. I had Madelyn, Bjorn had Thomas. I quickly found the doll and put it on the steps, next to the pumpkin while Bjorn distracted Madelyn. We told her it was a special surprise that was left just for her. I got her reaction on film and it actually brings me to tears. It was a great way to end the night and it might have just started a new Svenson Tradition-a final surprise waiting by the pumpkins when the kids return from Trick-or-Treating. After playing with Mammy and PapPap, Grandma and Grandpa Mike, checking out all of the treats, I decided to end the evening before things went downhill. I brought the kids to bed and the three of us had a picnic of Smarties on Madelyn's bedroom floor. Madelyn went to bed with "Raquel Aurora" and Thomas, the boy who doesn't sleep, actually resisted our nightly rocking routine and demanded "BED!"

So, without further adieu, here are some shots from the evening.