Trick or Treat...

Our neighbors have the CUTEST toddler in the entire world. Her name is Madison and I don't think I've ever encountered a more precious child. She dressed up like a black kitten and we were able to catch her before she went inside for bed. I had a huge bowl of candy left and proceeded to fill her bag with ALL of it (note: I only bought the candy to hand out to her... I didn't really care about the rest of the kids!) But she was a welcomed ending to an otherwise obnoxious evening. Read on...

Seriously, if you're over 10 years old you should NOT be trick-or-treating. We had a fair number come to our house tonight, though the majority of them were at least 14. COME ON, PARENTS!! When your kids are that old, they can buy their own candy with allowance money - or for that matter... JOB money since that's the minimum working age in the state of Kentucky. Don't let them beg for candy at people's doorsteps, especially when they haven't actually dressed up. FYI - a painted face does NOT equal a costume. My other favorite part about the age-inappropriate trick-or-treaters is the fact that they walk up to your door and don't even say, "Trick or treat!" They just stand there waiting for you to drop candy into their buckets. I should've refused them candy for not saying it... but the smarter side of me said, "Give it to them or they might be back later with eggs & toilet paper." Next year I'm thinking of posting a warning sign: "If you're not 10 years old or younger, DON'T BOTHER KNOCKING!" Our dogs certainly made an impression on most of the older ones. They love to bark when the doorbell rings, and while they're completely harmless, their sheer volume implies otherwise. Maybe that'll teach 'em :)