Not Wifezilla: Halloween Hangover

The months of searching for the perfect costume led us to two absolutely adorable macaroni penguins. I only know they are macaroni penguins because a few people mentioned that to us in one of the few trick or treating outings we took part in this Halloween season.
To say we got our monies worth with the costumes would be an understatement.
First, we took part in the Boo at the Zoo event with our dear friends Ash & Chris and their kiddies. My sister Jeanna joined us as we went trick or treating amongst the monkeys, zebras, and of course, the penguins. Can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday then wearing an animal costume with the real animals?

The four kids really enjoyed themselves and I do believe the grown ups had fun too.

Our next outing in costume was actually pretty lame. Our town is quite small and the downtown, fairly weak. While some surrounding towns have flourishing monthly activities and Farmers' Markets, our town more or less whimpers. I noticed a flier in September posted in a few stores windows about the Halloween festivities. The flier promised trick or treating with the businesses, hayride, pumpkins, and a Halloween parade with awards for costumes. Awesome, I think. I spend the next few weeks pumping up the event to MO."And we'll get to go on a hayride, and get a pumpkin! You'll probably see a bunch of costumes too!" I tell her.
Activities were slated from 4-7. At 5 that day, Bry made it home early as I was getting the girls ready to walk down. Around 5:30 we load the girls into the double stroller and walk to downtown. We find one of the most anti climatic events of my life. It was so sad! I of course ever the optimist, grab Mo's fin and bring her into the first store. The few workers swoon over the penguin costume and give her a few pieces of candy. The next store- closed. The next one, Bry is unsure if it's open or closed so we skip it. We go into the local pizza place where we actually wait in line behind someone ordering their dinner, as Mo keeps yelling "Trick or Treat!".
A half hour later, we have made it through the few stores that are participating, discover the hayride is nothing more the truck pulling a U-Haul with hay on it, and notice the Halloween judging is still close to an hour away. Bry and I decide to buy pizza and call it a night.
We make up for that dismal affair when we wear our costumes for the third time. Ash told me last year about trick or treating at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets located a few miles from my parents house.
These outlets should seriously give pointers to my town. Not only did they have a list of participating stores (though placing them in alphabetically order instead of location order was strange), but in each window of those stores they had a jack o'lantern taped. Thus Mo & her buddy A were able to virtually navigate the outlets by themselves. (Props to the store CAbi for well planned goodie bags with lots of candy, coupons, and personalized ribbon and huge thumbs down to the Carter's Store. Seriously, it's a kids store. I cannot fathom which person in management thought it was a good idea NOT to particiapte.) After an hour, the cold weather had chilled us and their baskets were filled. What a great way to spend the Friday before Halloween!
Halloween was a great, long, beautiful day!
After waiting for Maeve to wake from her nap, my parents and Bry's mom came over. We had a nice lunch of pasta e fagioli and/or stew. We bundled the girls up in their costumes and off we went!
Mo totally got it this year. Maybe it was her age, or most likely she understood trick or treating because we had already taken part in it three times before the big day. She was a total pro- holding my hand, knocking on doors or ringing doorbells, yelling "Trick or Treat", and then more likely then not reaching into the candy bowls before the home owner could speak. She would comment to other kids passing by saying "Oh, nice pirate!" or "Ahhh, scary monster!" She was a hoot!
Maeve, in the meantime, spent the first part of our walking trip fastened into the stroller. I think she tolerated the costume well for two reasons. 1. It kept her warm. 2. She was too preoccupied with all the other kids to be bothered.
Eventually though, after a little over an hour, Mo hit her wall. She asked to go home and play with Pops.
Bry and I could have stayed out all day! We loved it, but all that walking combined with no nap, made one tired penguin!
By then Maeve was over the stroller too and wanted to be held. We walked our two little penguins back to our house, one on Bryan's shoulders, the other on my hip, as one filled plastic orange jack o'lantern sat in the double stroller seat.
We survived our first Halloween as parents of two!
Our respective parents headed home not long after we returned. Mo passed out in bed not soon as her head hit the pillow, and Maeve took her second nap of the day too.
Bry and I looked at each other as we sat on the couch and agreed, we were both exhausted too!