Our kids have been pretty spoiled in trick-or-treating years' past. We've always gone with our daycare provider and close friend Leona, her husband, and their two daughters. Usually in Scottsville, but one year we did go to a mutual friend's neighborhood in Henrietta. Both places were great. LOTS of kids, LOTS of lit-up houses, pretty low on the traffic--not to mention the fun of hanging out with good friends. This year Leona and Co. Decided to go to their church party instead of the neighborhood scene. No problem. John and I have a new house and new neighborhood to check out. I did get a little antsy last week and almost called our Henrietta friend to "bum a ride" on their neighborhood. I mean, our area has very few sidewalks, NO street lights, and our particular street has more older folks about than young families. But, what better way to learn things about your new neighborhood/neighbors then to go around in the dark demanding candy from them?
I got off work a few minutes early, raced home, threw a pizza in the oven, and threw the costumes on the kids. We gulped down our food, and then we set out around 6-ish.
The very first house we hit is our next-door neighbor (of course). After adoring our cute kids in their cute costumes, she warned us right off the bat, "Did anyone tell you we just don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters out here?" The second house, we got tons of exclamations of "Wow! We actually got some trick-or-treaters this year?" (And almost acquired a new pet as their dog followed us right out to the street.) The third house: "OMG, where did YOU come from?! We NEVER get trick-or-treaters. No, seriously, where did you come from?!" (Had to explain that we'd just moved in last summer.)
We saw all of two trick-or-treating groups (each with two kids and one parent) while we were out (and one of them were from the third house we'd hit--and I think they were still in awe of us). John and I decided to try a different tract of homes close by. We walked over to a nicer, they-so-make-more-money-than-we-do tract: you would have heard the crickets if they weren't already gone for the winter! Plenty of lit up houses, but NO trick-or-treaters!
All told, we were out about an hour. I'm sorry, but it's just no fun to go out on Halloween without seeing a bunch of other kids in their costumes. And it's no fun going down a road with no sidewalks when you're toting a (almost) 2-year old in a stroller. And even though it IS fun for your (almost) 7-year old to brandish a flashlight since there are no street lights, it is NOT fun to pick up all her candy in the grass after the THREE times she tripped in the dark.
Next year we're driving to Scottsville. Or Henrietta. Even if no one invites us!
3 comments:
Dave mentioned, "pictures, please" and I'll second by "ditto". That's a darn shame that where you are there aren't many kids. In contrast, this also means that you might have a quieter neighborhood. Where I reside now, there are 20 somethings that love to go 40 down the block and play music at high decibels at 1 am. Is this apartment life, no.
Anyway, the older hood might be safer in other ways as well. Next year, back to the old hood, huh? Well, the kids probably will see old friends there anyway.
Happy Halloween!
"uh, I'm sorry, you've caught me a little off guard, see we don't usually get any trick-or-treaters... but here, here's a few dime bags and ummm... oh, I think this is morphine."
Penfield beats the $hit out of Scottsville and Henrietta in every other way, but if trick-or-treating is high on your list of desirables for a new house, it apparently ain't the place to live. It was a bizarre scene with few other kids, even in the nearby tracts.
I will give the neighbors credit; despite the historical lack of Halloweeniness, they were still prepared with candy and decorations. Plus, our trick-or-treating was far more efficient, as the neighbors pressed 4 or 5 of a given treat on each kid.
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