Tricks and Treats

Halloween this year felt like it came and went. Actually so did the whole month of October. I just spent the last little while tonight, taking down my decorations for the season. All that remains is the enormous amount of Halloween candy. Between what my boyfriend and I purchased for our Halloween party and what M brought home from trick or treating, we have enough to last until Christmas. M is tickled pink, as most kids would be. In fact, from the moment she gets homes from school she asks if she can have something from her treat bag.

Last night was no different. She had a few pieces after dinner. Eventually bed time was upon us and she brushed her teeth and asked if she could watch t.v. for a bit. I obliged with a half an hour time limit in tow. She snuggled up in her bed and I followed her into her room shortly after for bedtime kisses. I noticed she was huddled under her blankets as if something was wrong. Her little eyes peeking up over the covers looked sad. I now realize they were eyes filled with guilt. As I asked her what the matter was and gently rolled her over to talk, I noticed her little cheek stuffed with what I could only guess was chocolate. As mothers instinct had it this little rebel had managed to sneak a treat and try to get away with it. Immediately I escorted her to the trash can where I sternly told her to spit it out, all the while she is crying in hysterics over getting caught red handed. Then I took her to the washroom to brush her teeth, yet again, yes still crying. As you might have guessed she then quickly lost out on tv time. Once she was tucked back into her bed her wimpers weighed on me and I snuggled up beside her. "We'll talk about this tomorrow" I told her. The more I had tried to explain why she was in trouble the louder the crying got. Clearly, parenting at this moment was not in the cards. She calmed down, fell asleep and eventually I snuck out.

I was then met in the kitchen by my boyfriend hiding the bag of candy. Deep down I think he was thinking that M had been banned from the holy grail of candy and the loot was all for him now. Victory was his. He had paid his dues trick or treating for many years and now it was his time to reap the rewards. Just like his parents had done before him and their parents had done before them.

In reality I should have been the one hiding the bag from both M and him. After all bite size candy love is not on the diet plan....unfortunately.