Every year, the stress around our house builds up just after Halloween. Why? Battles over CANDY....... Last year we let the kids enjoy their Halloween spoils after lunch, at snack time or after dinner. There were many tears over who got which candy and why they couldn't have more of it at one time.
This year, Jacques and I thought we had the solution- just let them eat it when they want (within reason) so we could get rid of it as quickly as possible. So much for that idea.... I became fed up of coming downstairs in the morning to find half-eaten candy bars and wrappers strewn all over the house. The chocolate bar behind the warm heater in the play room was particuliarly unpleasant. Enoug was enough. A new rule went into effect- no candy in the morning. The witch's brew pot was set up high on the kitchen counter and was declared off limits. Last year, this technique worked just fine- This year not so well.
Tuesday morning, we come downstairs to the same mess we encountered Monday morning. The kids had climbed up on the counter and helped themselves. After a lecture about breaking the "off limits" rules, we moved on. Tuesday night I hid the candy in our bedroom. All was well the next morning. When we got up the kids asked where their candy was and I told them it was in Mommy & Daddy's room because they had broken the rules the day before. Well wouldn't you know, Thursday morning the little buggers woke us while having a discussion outside our bedroom about who was going to sneak into our room and get the candy. Kaitlyn was desperately trying to convince Ethan that he should do it because she quite clearly didn't want to get her hands dirty. Mind you this conversation is occurring at 4:30am- yes these kids have decided that that is there new wake up hour. We broke up their theft plans and set them on their way downstairs.
Last night, I forgot to bring the candy back upstairs to our room and left it in the kitchen again. Before falling asleep, I commented to Jacques that I was probably going to regret that decision in the morning but that I hoped the kids would obey the rules and not touch it. We then both figured if they did get into it, maybe they would just finish it off so we could be done with the post-Halloween candy antics.
This morning I came downstairs, to candy wrappers strewn all over the house and a HUGE mess in the bathroom of all places. They've been experimenting with water lately (which is another post all in itself). In the bathroom on the floor, there was a pumpkin filled with water, several empty cups, Kaitlyn's pajama top and the hand towel which were both soaked, and water everywhere. To make matters worse, there were melted M&M's in the water on the floor along with more half eaten candy bars and crushed animal crackers.
Mommy was not happy..........After a stern talking to about obeying the rules and being trustworthy not to break them, a few spankings, and many tears, they were all sent up to their room so I could cool off.
I'm happy to report that the Halloween candy will no longer be an issue this year because it has now all been thrown away. My blood pressure is still a bit high and I believe I may have given myself either an ulcer or a hernia from yelling so loud this morning, but at least tomorrow at 4:30am we know the kids won't be eating candy (although they will surely find something else to keep themselves occupied......)
