Halloween Week 2024

Having a kid at Halloween is pure magic—even if Madeline’s still too young to fully dive into all the spooky decorations and candy. Honestly, it’s been a blast just imagining all the traditions we’ll get to share with her as she grows. I already got to live out a viral moment I’d planned for months: putting her inside a giant pumpkin (after some initial worries it was too giant!), and we dressed her up as the cutest little pumpkin. Her first Halloween couldn’t have been more special.

Our festivities kicked off on Monday with a ‘trunk-or-treat’ at Alison’s work. Cox Automotive hosts one every year, and while we’ve taken our nieces before, this year was extra exciting because we finally got to bring our own little girl! Alison’s on leave, so she doesn’t have access to her work email, but she reached out to a coworker to get all the details, and we planned to go.

Monday afternoon, though, Mads was a bit fussy. We went back and forth on whether to skip the event or see if she’d rally after a nap. Luckily, she woke up refreshed and happy, so we decided to go for it. And it was totally worth it! Alison’s worked there for so long that we’ve made a lot of friends, and it was special for them to finally meet Madeline. Sure, she wasn’t exactly collecting candy, but I think seeing her all bundled up was the highlight of everyone’s night. We wrapped her in her cozy blanket (it was chilly out!), and she mostly snoozed in my arms, oblivious to the festivities but looking like a tiny Halloween dream.

We kept the Halloween spirit going with a family costume: we all dressed as the Rockford Peaches from A League of Their Own. With baseball being such a big theme in our family, it felt like a fitting choice. Plus, Alison was over the moon about twinning with Mads in their matching uniforms—it was adorable. The costume may have been lost on Madeline this year, but I have a feeling Halloween is going to be something she gets pretty excited about in years to come.

Halloween time is so fun with a kid. It’s wild to think about how these moments are just the beginning. There are so many more pumpkins, costumes, and (eventually) sugar highs in our future, and we can’t wait to see it all unfold with her!

Halloween itself was a blast this year—we were the Halloween party house! Kristin and Anna joined us, along with Blake, Meg, and little Goldie, and later in the evening, Blake and Debbie made their way over, too. We ordered Papa Murphy’s pizza because nothing says Halloween like a Jack-o’-lantern pizza! The take-and-bake is just so convenient when you’ve got a house full of people and a night full of activity ahead. After work, Mads and I got dressed up in our A League of Their Own costumes. I hadn’t planned on keeping mine on all night, but I did. 

Of course, Mads had a little costume change mid-evening—from her “Dottie” outfit into a cozy pumpkin costume so she could match Goldie. The two of them together were beyond adorable. Anna was all set to go trick-or-treating, so Kristin and I took her around our neighborhood’s Island area (Kristin didn’t want to go alone without one of us). The Island on Halloween night is like stepping into another world—cars packed the streets, and people were out in droves, all decked out in costumes and filling the air with excitement. The decorations were top-notch, with lights and music, and residents really going all out to make it festive. It felt like the entire community was putting on a show for Halloween! We even ran into Donny Osmond trick-or-treating with his grandkids!

Anna was thrilled with all the goodies. While there was great candy, she was mostly into the little prizes some houses were giving out. I think her favorite score of the night was a Paw Patrol eraser—classic Anna! We were just happy she was having fun and taking in the Halloween magic.

Back at the house, the trick-or-treaters were coming in waves—nonstop doorbell ringing, candy being handed out left and right. Blake and Debbie’s arrival was helpful, but it definitely added to the lively chaos. By this point, we had two babies, three dogs, and a steady flow of trick-or-treaters filling the house with high energy and excitement. Blake and Meg eventually had to take Goldie back to their place to hand out candy there, and what’s usually a 5-minute drive took them a solid 20 minutes through the Halloween traffic and crowds!

With Blake and Meg on candy duty back at their place, Anna took over as our candy distributor, with her papa by her side. She was so excited to run to the door with the candy bowl, proudly holding it out for each group. Several kids complimented her costume, which made her feel like a million bucks. We went through 2.5 big Costco bags—over 500 pieces! By a little after 7:30 p.m., we were out of candy. We turned off the porch lights and closed the gate to signal the end, but the party continued inside.

We topped off the night by pulling out some special Salt & Straw ice cream I’d made just for Halloween. The flavors were “The Great Candycopia,” a rich butterscotch ice cream with chunks of Snickers, Reese’s, Heath Bar, and Whoppers, and the very mysterious “Essence of Ghost,” a peaty vanilla ice sorbet with chocolate swirls made from black cocoa (the same stuff used in Oreos). I told Anna that the Essence of Ghost came from capturing a ghost and squeezing out all the sweetness, and she giggled at that idea. The Great Candycopia was a hit—everyone loved it!

While we savored our ice cream, Anna and Kristin regaled us with stories from their recent cruise, giving us a taste of their adventure on the high seas. Eventually, it was time for everyone to head out. The Island was still bustling, and it took Kristin about 15 minutes just to get across the bridge, but everyone made it home safely.

And that’s a wrap on Mads’ first Halloween! The night was full of fun, family, and just the right amount of Halloween craziness—a perfect start to what I hope will be years of Halloween traditions.