Kids Light Up Halloween

I spent my evening with my grandson, trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. I tell you there's nothing like watching a costumed kid, face smudged with candy and face paint, walking with a bag full of candy and smiling from ear to ear.

My grandson ditched all four masks he'd collected over the months for a red & black face-painted zombie effect. With my army style cap on he looked more like a zombie GI returning from war. He decided to leave the stabbing knife with the "Psycho" sounds at home so that his hands were free to scoop up candy; smart kid. I'd put my creative juices together and came up with a pretty decent lumberjack outfit, thanks in part to the neighborhood Goodwill Store and a Davy Crockett coon skin hat I'd acquired a few months ago.

Living in a city has its advantages when Halloween comes around, especially a city like San Francisco which considers it a Holiday. There's no need to knock on doors and hope the homeowner isn't some demented hater of the world. You simply walk down the store lined street and enter the establishments singing trick-or-treat. Easily 95% of the stores participated this year. My Grandson was amazed at the amount of candy he collected in so short a time. He would soon blame his heavy bag and sore over-worked feet as the reason to return back to the apartment.

I was able to keep my promise to his mom by limiting his candy eating, but more satisfying was seeing him spread out the candy on the table and separate it into two piles, the smaller pile being for his mom. How can you not love a child for their thoughts and unconditional love of family?

So Halloween 2009 was one of the best I've had in some time. There were no parties, no intoxicating beverages, no worries of unsafe candy, just a festive evening of childhood memories and grandfatherly pride thanks to my grandson wanting to spend it with his grandpa.

Some of the exciting costumes we saw:

5 Ninja's kicking and doing swordplay
Men In Black character with the MIB gun
The Scream
Robin (no batman)
Michael Myers (halloween movie)
3 yr old Toy Story Woody Cowboy
Many many cute little costumed kids
Josh
Older couple from Denmark/Holland who took picture of us (No Halloween In Holland)
Business Establishments giving smiles and open heart
Women who thought us so cute