Happy Halloween!

As you can see, Gloria and Bailey were bumblebees and the Dan Duncan clan were all penguins (or, as my father in law would say, penguinis). This is technically Gloria's third Halloween. Somehow, it seems like the first "real" halloween because she cared what her costume was and she actually got the significance of complete strangers opening their doors and giving treats just because they are nice. What I have found fascinating is the fact that some neighborhoods are FLOODED with children of all ages racing up and down the driveways and eagerly grabbing that shiny wrapper with triumph and awe. Then there are the other neighborhoods, in particular my in-laws neighborhood. They are just a few miles south of my parents home in Naperville, yet they are lucky to get even 2 trick or treaters at their door. Long before Kevin and I were married and Gloria was not yet a twinkle in our eyes, my in-laws have dreamt of the day that the trick or treaters might come. This year, mostly because of Gloria, they turned their front yard into a magical Halloween land with ghosts in the trees, cute pumpkins smiling down the path, and giant spiders on lit up webs across the porce. Still, they had one trick or treater, Miss Gloria H. I want to know! Why do some areas get hordes of children while others scrape the very bottom of the barrell. What is it? I want to know. I want to start a charity that sends kids to all neighborhoods equally. Would that be something people would be interested in helping to support? I know I would. There is nothing more sad than grown ups in orange and black shirts hovering at the staircase with their basket of candy and straining to hear if a group of trick or treaters will come pattering up the drive. Only to realize it was a rabbit or a squirrel or one of the halloween decorations blowing in the wind.