Halloween Harry-- Looks a lot Like Tantrum Harry

We should have just trick or treated in our own cute little nieghborhood. Harry could have toddled along the sidewalks, and he could have carried his plush pumpkin basket to a couple of houses. Our sidewalk isn't even on the street, so we wouldn't have had to worry about him getting hit by a car. Sure, we'd have to watch out for some skunks (the house smells like skunk right now, actually), but that would have been it.

Despite the weather being perfect and sunny, I was worried about him roaming around in the dusk. So, I got the brilliant idea of going to the mall. All day, whenever Ben or I told anyone we were going to the mall, they raised their eyebrows and said, "Oh," like they just smelled something bad (and I would know that face, since I am making it right now since everything smels like skunk). We didn't take a hint, though, and we loaded Harry up in the car.

See, even he looks skeptical.

Things started off cute enough. Although my fanatsy of letting Harry run wild in a safe, enlcosed place never happened because the mall was packed with big, rowdy, unsupervised kids. And, on the other side of the spectrum, with moms pushing strollers full of dressed up babies, and the moms were filing their stroller baskets with free candy. This grossed me out on 2 levels. Either they were going to feed candy to kids Harry's age and younger, or they were seriously troling the mall for give-away candy bars. Ick.

Harry's candy eating instincts kicked in after he snagged this sucker from a jewelry store that was also handing out jewelry cleaner, a random gift for children. He yanked off the wrapper and shoved it in his mouth while we stood there, shocked. Then, luckily, he dropped it on the ground and it broke before we had to pry it from his cold deads.

Really excited about a Brachs mint he grabbed from a kiosk. Which? Seriously? Starlight mints? That's a good way to get your kiosk egged.

Harry started to get really hot in his plush suit (a perfect outdoor costume, you idiot), so we told him he could play on the playland. Yeah right. Dirty, rough, and did I mention dirty? We took him to the mechanical cars instead. He usually LOVES to ride these things, but the mouse car he always picks was full. Which he noticed.


We had to scrape our screaming child off the ride and struggle him back to the car. Make no mistake, he is NOT smiling or laughing in these pictures. We may have laughed a bit.


His haul?
Jewelry cleaner, a mint, a pad of Post-Its, and a box of Milk Duds, which I ate as soon as he fell asleep.

I will never T or T the mall again unless it's raining. And when someone I know says they are going to Malloween, I will do more than grimace-- I'll invite them to my neighborhood instead!