Trick or Treat...

Since our small town (population less than three thousand) has a Halloween parade and carnival on Saturday night, tonight has been designated as Trick or Treat night in Davis, Oklahoma.

I was one of those over protective mothers when our kids were little. No way were they going to be encouraged to walk up to strangers' houses and take candy that might have poison in it. But when Lemar was six and Amy was almost four, I was managing an apartment complex in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and I reassessed the situation. I knew all the folks in my complex and if one of them did something stupid like give my kids tainted candy, I had the power to evict them.

So I agreed that they could go to the fifty apartments in our complex and over to their grandmother's place and aunt's and uncle's to Trick or Treat. But alas, I made the decision too late and there were no more costumes down at the store.

That was when I looked at my handsome son and decided he would be a Kentucky gentleman that evening. I slicked his hair back and put one of his father's fancy vests on him along with jeans and a white shirt and tie. He had a set of toy six guns so we added those to the costume and tucked a card in his vest pocket and he was not only a gentleman but a gambler.

Then it was on to his four year old sister. It was in the days of long dresses so I figured she could wear one of those and compliment his new status as gambler and gentleman. I pulled her long blonde hair up in a fancy do and put a little makeup on her face, reminding her again not to ever use anything but what came out of the bathroom. (She was the child who ground up poison ivy leaves the summer before until they were a paste and applied it to her face for pretend makeup. And yes, we did wind up in the emergency room!)

Lemar stood there and watched while I worked on my makeshift costume for Amy and finally drew his little dark brows down and asked. "What is she anyway, Mama?"

"I'm making her into a lady," I answered.

"You are making a lady out of that?" His eyes were big as silver dollars.

And that is one of my favorite memories! Do kids still come to your door? Do you have a favorite memory?