Halloween...

Halloween is here again and what a long and wonderful year it has been.

It is amazing to me that the retailers have already put out Christmas decorations. What happened to enjoying Halloween first and what about the other holidays? It seems that the other holidays  are cheapened by Christmas advertising. Lets give the big box retailers that all mighty buck. I think not!

I remember the days of carving pumpkins, trick or treating, and getting the ba-jesus scared out of me. Most of those memories were not during a time that I lived with my mother. I remember our mom smacking the crap out of us boys for sneaking and eating a piece of candy without her permission. We would sort out the candy on the table and put it a large bag and she would put it on top of the refrigerator in full view. When she wanted some candy, she made it obvious that she was getting something from that candy bag or she would have us get it for her. She would sit on the couch drinking her favorite soda (Pepsi) and eat her candy. When we requested some of (our) candy, the replies seemed to always relate to our future behaviors. The problem was that there seemed always to be reasons for unacceptable behaviors and therefore, no candy. Maybe that has had some effect on why I don't eat much candy now.

I also remember the children's mother driving us all over Winston Salem, to the "wealthier neighborhoods" because she would say that the children would get more candy, more expensive candy, and even money sometimes. I often wonder what lessons that would teach the children. Greed comes to mind... These pictures were of the first Halloween (during initial separation from their mother) that I was able to actually share Halloween festivities with the children without interferences from their mother EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SUPERVISED AT THEIR MOTHERS MOMS HOUSE. Spending quality time with the children without her involvement had its dramatic fallout!

I always told the kids that it was okay to get dirty and messy. Of course that's what kids do. "It can always be cleaned up" I would say. This was no different with digging out the inside of a pumpkin. If you can imagine two young children tearing into a pumpkin with their dad saying "its okay to make a mess, just use your hands"! I would think that most normal peoples reaction would be "and guess what happened next"?   Well the story from my attorney that came from the mothers attorney was that I was purposely making a big mess, refusing to clean up, and even throwing the pumpkins innards on the children. Supposedly the children were afraid of my actions and didn't want to visit with me again.

We really had a great time though it was short lived. This was the last Halloween that I enjoyed with Matthew. As for Brooke, it would not be the last but I had not had time with her until years later due to the mothers manipulations and confusions that she bestowed upon the courts. It was vicious to say the least but I didn't stop trying.

The next Halloween with Brooke would come around the age of ten.

 So it is still okay to get messy and dirty!

 I think she was actually enjoying it!

 Dig in kid and get it all out!

 Finished product!
Good job!

 Doesn't look terribly unhappy...yet!

Oops, there it is! The classic look when asked to take a picture!

So the next Halloween we were able to spend time together was about when she was 12 years old. Again, the vicious wrath from her mom struck again and after continuous attempts in the courts to make this time happen, it became reality. My better half (wife) is from Asian descent and Brooke wanted to commemorate that fact and dress up as a Caucasian geisha. She was more interested in trick or treating with our neighbors children and understandably so.

 

This was the last Halloween that I (we) had the opportunity to spend with my daughter and she became upset with me for not letting her trick or treat alone, without adult supervision.