Our Halloween Stories

I was so excited to be home for Halloween yesterday, and to at least have the luxury of rolling around in the car while the boys ran into the houses.
I was allowed to yell to some of my friends and family, but keep a safe distance. It’s hard not to give them a huge hug and tell them how much I missed them, but I have a tendency to make people cry.
I don’t think X was interested in emotional reunions when there was candy at stake.
My favorite reaction was from my memere. I can’t remember how old she is, but she wants her great grandchildren to call her “Old memere.”
She came almost running down her ramp with a big smile. I thought she might catch some air when she got to the ground. She was, literally, doing jumps for joy.
X, the ninja turtle, made out with candy, five bucks, and a monster truck. He’s going to buy a toy today.
I only started to really enjoy Halloween in college. I was taking a little trek down memory lane about my CNR girls last night.
I remember in 2001, eating lunch with Eboney, walking through the cafeteria and asking her how she thought they dyed the potatoes orange for Halloween.
“Girrrrllll.” She screamed and laughed at me, “You never seen yams before.”
“What? Those I potatoes dyed orange.” I insisted.
Apparently, yams exist, and they are really good, because after a comment like that, there was no way in hell I was going to get away with not eating some.
In 2002, Lauren, Rox, and I decided to go out big time and head to “The Village,” as in Greenwich, to hop in the parade.
Do you remember this ladies? I hope your checking me out today, because I’m thinking about breaking out the old hard drive and down loading some pictures.
Lula was jack frost and I forget Roxy’s identity for the night (but she was foxy, as always).
I was a french maid, something about the village just screamed cute outfit and high heels to me.
I’m glad it didn’t scream “duct tape,” like it apparently did to some other hard bodied transgenders, but that was really the reason we were there, to see the most creative in America, wasn’t it.
The year after it was carving pumpkins and Keene State with Yanellie (Are you watching me, sucia?), and Rox again.
Apparently, we needed to trade in the gay guys for some frat guys.
So last night, I got into scary movie mode, and we rented “The Strangers,” because it was based on a true story. Those are my favorite.
I’ve been on scary movie strike for a while now, but yesterday, as Im watching all the real-life Halloween specials (Cold Case Files, World’s Scariest Unsolved Crimes, Forensic Files, etc.), I decided that if I could be so fascinated with real life I could probably stomach a horror film.
Except, the movie was slow and terrible. There was a couple in their vacation home in the woods being stalked by three masked people. There was a lot of screaming, crying, and running around within the house.
I kept hearing Laurette in the back of my head saying, “You know you’ll never see any black people up in these movies because we would have been running as soon as that creepy girl first knocked at our door. The whole family would have been out screaming like maniacs.”
To which I’d reply, that she was so dark nobody could see her at night time anyway, and all the killers would be coming after me, running through the woods like a glow stick.
I can hear the screams and comments from my girls. Our conversation would inevitably end up with a lot of yelling comments over each other and laughing our asses off.
Laurette and ladies, I love you, I know you love me too, but I know my white self would be the bait. I’d take one for the team.
There’s nothing but love here. These thoughts made me laugh and want to call every one of my friends up, but the single ones were out partying and the rest of them were probably asleep after running around all day with school, work, kids, etc.
I think I’ll make some time for them today.
So those are my college Halloween memories. I remember all of X’s Halloweens, his first two were our community parties. His third, I had cancer, and took him door to door to our close family and friends.
His fourth, I had cancer, and decided to take it in stride and dress up like a pirate with him and his cousins and throw the community Halloween Party with Alissa.
Only 1/3 of adults dress up for Halloween, and I have to be one of those moms.
Yesterday, Xander, being a maniac just like I was, decided to stick his head out the window and spit out the snickers bar he decided he didn’t like. His turtle mask whipped off his face so quickly, and we were left with a child, mouth wide open in stunned silence, mask-less, and drooling chocolate.
Being the passenger and mom, I lunged for the napkins.
Jon, on his game, whipped the car around and immediately found the mask.
Major crisis averted, and somehow, everybody in the car decided it was as amusing as I thought it was.
The picture to the right is X and Miss Roe, who I think is adorable, especially in her Pats gear. I love Charlestown and it's school staff. I'm comfortable my son is being looked out for.
My plan for the day was to go out as a surgeon, so my mask and gloves would match the rest of me. It’d be the one day of the year I can run around with my protection on and fit in, but I relegated myself to the car like the good girl I am.