Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

Halloween . It's the time of year when you get to traipse around the neighborhood and knock on doors for candy. Every stop means a chance for your favorite kind. You walk the streets in a costume you spent hours searching for or making in your room, with or without the help of your parents. It's the one time of year when it's acceptable to take candy from strangers. After a few hours of briefly visiting the neighbors with your friends, siblings, or parents, you go home and look over the glorious bounty of your haul. Halloween Costumes and Parties The entire day was fun when you were a kid. You went to school knowing assignments would end early so everyone could get into their costumes. When everyone was changed, it was time to pass out the candy. Everyone walked around the room leaving some type of sweet on everyone's desk. You were allowed to have food in the classroom. You got to dress up. If you were lucky, you had the coolest costume in the entire school. More often...

Halloween is this week. This means dressing up and trick-or-treating for children. For me, it means imposing the "Dad Tax" while I check out what was brought home and making sure candy is "safe" to eat. Lovie loves this time of year because stores are putting Christmas displays next to the Halloween candy. For her, Fall is a reminder the Christmas is right around the corner. This seems like a very big corner. Meanwhile, my beloved daughter is continuing to bake yummy treats that coincide with the Fall Season. It's just a matter of time before she starts rolling out the Christmas goodies. If you're like Lovie, Halloween means the doors are beginning to creak open to Christmas. As soon as the candy bags are dropped and the costumes are put away, stores across the nation are decked out with yuletide cheer. Halloween gives way to Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving leads to Christmas, which soon means it's time to welcome the New Year. They don't call them "...

August, 2022. My in-laws' dog in the background. P arents do things for their children. It's part of the job description. Sometimes, we do things and we don't even understand why we're doing it for them. Sometimes, our children ask us to do something that seems simple enough when we start out. A Halloween Tradition We have a tradition in our family that centers around Halloween. It's been happening for a few years. Every Halloween my children decide what I'm going to be. I don't go trick-or-treating with them. I hold down the fort at home and keep a little campfire going for the nice children and parents that come by for their annual candy. I usually have a pot of apple cider warming on the fire for the nice people who come by. There is one constant element to the costume my children pick out. I have to have a beard. Beginning October 1, I give the shaving cream, razor and aftershave a month-long vacation and let nature take it's course. My children...