Last night, I got home ready for a nice quiet evening with the Smokester and a humble dinner of Captain D’s, and I was in for a rude awakening. Now, prior to last night, I can’t remember one doorbell ringing on Halloween in the years I’ve been in my neighborhood. And despite the fact that almost every weekend, Smokie has a set of friends that will come knock on my door to ask if Smokie can play, it didn’t dawn on me that I needed to have some candy for the kids that have moved into the neighborhood over the last year (and as I found out last night, there are quite a few of them!). So about 30 minutes after I came in from walking Smokie, the doorbell rang. And I panicked. Am I now that mean lady on the street that doesn’t love the kiddies??? I ran to my pantry, and there was no candy in sight. Not even a peppermint. I thought to myself, should I give bags of popcorn?? Naaaah, that’s just a little too much. Mind you, this whole time Smokie is barking his head off because the doorbell rang, so I’m pretty sure it’s pretty clear that someone is home and just not answering. Eeek. About 15 minutes later, another doorbell. At this point, I was upstairs making sure I looked remotely presentable so I could go hunt down candy. By the time I got to the door to apologize for not having candy, they were gone. But in the corner of my eye I saw a wee one trying to tell her chaperone that someone was at the door.

So I headed to CVS and picked out three types of candy and headed back home. Now I was prepared. But now it was dark. So I was sure I completely missed the youngest and cutest and probably most excited kids. I kept my door open with the light on so that future Trick or Treaters would know that we were open for business. A whole hour passed, and I was about to pout that I potentially dampened the night of the kids and subsequently wasted my money on a bunch of candy because of my lateness.

Then my doorbell finally rang and it was Smokie’s friends! I gave them candy and they were all excited to see Smokie. (Then I felt a little underdressed and felt like I could have AT LEAST dressed Smokie up, smh.) After they left, they alerted a few more of the neighborhood kids and they came by and rang the doorbell too. So all was not lost. But trust and believe that my house will be ready with candy and probably even costumes next year!!