Spectrummy Mummy

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We wanted to prepare the kids.  That was why we did it.  We wanted to do the social stories, and explain everything about what happens on Halloween, so it wasn’t at all scary.  Please don’t tell me that it is supposed to be scary, I’m not listening la, la, la.  We needed Pudding to understand that we weren’t going to enter strangers’ homes, that we have to say “trick or treat” to get the candy, that the people dressed up are just playing.  It is a lot to prepare for, so that is why we told her Halloween was happening coming up.  Rookie mistake.  She wanted to go trick or treating immediately.  Perhaps she was confused by going with school on Friday, so I explained that it was only going to happen on Sunday.  Halloween is on Sunday.  But I kind of forgot to specify a time, so what did I expect?

We’re early risers in this house.  Actually, I’m not.  By nature I’m a lazy stay-in-bed kind of lass, but this house goes on majority rule.  Actually, it is ruled by a pair of malevolent dictators, so 5.30 was the time our day began, and Pudding first requested to go trick-or-treating.  After breakfast, and three hours of requesting, I was desperately googling for some kind of daytime event in the vicinity, but the only one I could find was that stores at the mall were handing out candy for dressed-up kids.  We dressed the kids in their costumes before 9, and thought about performing some black magic to turn day into night.  If you can’t do the dark arts on Halloween, when can you?

On a whim, we took them to Ikea, where Pudding could at least perform her hobby of trying out all the beds they sell.  Now tell me, did The Princess and The Pea have sensory processing dysfunction, or what?  How has Disney not yet made an Aspie/Autie princess?  I digress.  We came home, and killed time until 6.00.  We were amongst the first ones out, which everyone knows means you get the best pickings.  Of course, the kids don’t get to eat chocolate, so I’ll dutifully take care of that.  Instead they get the horrid corn-syrupy, colouring and additive-filled stuff that they wouldn’t be allowed to touch were it not for all the allergies.  Sigh.

The kids did pretty well.  Cubby got a bit fed up, but he is a little ill anyway, so that was to be expected.  Pudding got quite into it, but we forgot to mention that some households have dogs, and that spooked her more than any costumes or decorations.  Another tick in the must-get-a-dog-after-our-next-move box.  All in all it was a good time, and we came back and handed candy out for an hour before putting the kids to bed.

Pudding is off school for the next two days, so I’m going to bear the brunt of all that candy.  Oh well, at least I can console myself with all the chocolatey stuff the kids can’t eat.  Happy Halloween everyone!

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Just a reminder that November 1st is our day to shout out about autism.  Please join me at 7 pm EST at The Coffee Klatch and we’ll get talking.