Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I have to put a lot of thought into my costume.  I have to be able to work in it.  It can’t scare any dogs or cats or small children.  This year I finally came up with the perfect costume.

A photo posted by @dvmheather on

I was the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

I love that hat. It is the most comfy thing ever. I’ve been wearing it around my house for days. No animals were afraid of it. One kitten batted at the bow on it but everyone else just ignored it.

After work we took Z trick or treating in our neighborhood. Trick or treating with an autistic 12 year old has its own special annoyances. She refused to cross lawns to get to door. This is a neighborhood with driveways that tend to swoop along the sides of the lots and head to the back of the house. She insisted in going up the driveways to find a walk to the front door even when the house owners were telling her to cut across the lawn. Oh well, she got lots of extra exercise. She was totally defeated by one house’s landscaping. There was a row of bushes about 1 foot high. Being told to cross the lawn and then step over the bushes shut down her brain entirely. I wish I knew how to remove “Don’t step on the grass” as an absolutely rule and substitute, “Don’t punch your classmates” instead.

There was one house all lit up with spooky music playing. There was no one standing outside so we told her to go knock on the door because it looked like they were in full Halloween mode. No one answered her knock. So instead of saying, “Must not be here,” she started pounding on the door and yelling, “HEY! I SAID TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!!” Then we had to yell at her to stop assaulting the house and get back to the sidewalk. They were probably there but hiding from the person beating down their door.

She went to one house on a side street off the beaten path. She got candy there and the husband and I crossed the road to another decorated house while she was heading back towards us. She started yelling, “Wait! Wait! I can’t cross a road by myself!” at the top of her lungs. We were the only people on the street and there were no headlights visible in any direction. I said, “You’re 12 years old. Better figure it out.” Most kids are pushing their boundaries to try to grow up. We’re going to end up kicking and shoving her into adulthood entirely against her will.

She is terrified of everything so she was overcompensating by yelling at anyone and anything she found scary. She’d walk up to people with mildly scary costumes and decorations and yell, “You aren’t scaring me!” in their faces. Social interaction is such a joy.

I’m not sure if this was better or worse than last year’s Halloween 5K adventure.