We do Halloween.

 I think Halloween is wrapped up in judgment in the Christian world. You may feel it just by glancing at the title of the blog, I truly don't mean to pass judgment. This blog is mostly for my kids, to put into a book - a list of their days. I want them to know why we do Halloween. That's it. We do Halloween because we do family. Growing up my parents did Halloween with us and to this day my favorite memories of all my childhood are Halloween. The excitement of the evening hovering over us all day long. Going home we'd start the flurry of activity around getting ready. We'd have pizza. My dad would then take us out in our neighborhood and we'd score. We'd come home and my brother's and I would scatter our booty out on the floor and trade our favorites with each other. Mine were always the sixlets. The more I could get of those the better. Someone else might have wanted the twizzlers which I was glad to sacrifice for sixlets. The memories are so vivid in my mind I can almost smell the candy pile on the floor and feel my brother's hovering nearby. These were the best memories of my childhood. The best ones. I do Halloween to make these memories with my kids.

 We do Halloween because its fun to dress up. This year we got a great deal on a precious Indian outfit for Ella at a resale shop. I made the feather clip by gluing some feathers to one of her barrette backs. Ezra rocked out some dollar store duds. I spent hours upon hours on a cardboard horse. I have pictures. It was cute but didn't work out so well. I am happy I realized that somewhere along the line and wasn't disappointed that it just didn't work.

 We do Halloween because the lost do Halloween and being in a church surrounded by others who don't to Halloween doesn't serve the purpose of what we are about. Christ came to redeem and set free and we are not a slave to the bondage of death. Death has no fear or foothold in our lives nor in the lives of our kids. For us the day is redeemed as a day of family fun, candy and fellowship.

We do Halloween because my little people are only little once and soon enough they will be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and contemplating the deep mysteries of life. This one day we don't. We teach them the truth of who Christ is and we have fun. We make memories. I hope little people your days with us during your childhood were filled with many many memories.

 Ella I hope you remember putting that dress on. It was fringed with bells and every time you moved your body sang us a song. You danced a lot, with all those bells jingling. It made me smile. Ezra woke up from his nap in a sour mood refusing to wear the hat and yanking on the bandana around his neck. The whole car ride to the fall festival I said if you don't wear the hat you don't get the candy. I was so afraid you'd still refuse to wear the hat. You came to some sense of reason and donned the hat. given any opportunity you'd take it off and yell "Heee Haaa" while circling the hat in the air. You were surrounded by kids wearing glittery fairy suits, boys dressed like superheros. I love seeing the kids in all their Halloween finery, it's my secret adult delight on Halloween. But I had eyes only for my little posse.

This is why we do Halloween.