Mermaids, Zombies, and Duct Tape

I am not much into holidays and I tend to find the negatives in each one preferring the steadiness of making a little something of everyday rather then predesignating in advance some to be better then others.  These exercises in excessive commerce tend to lose any real intended meaning and I could do without the interruptions.  On this topic I am a dud.

Normally for Halloween I am on travel and miss it or just dread the cost of one time use costumes and the dreary canvasing of the neighborhood for candy I can just buy at Wal-Mart for a few bucks at any time. As I  chaperon the children and make sure they are always polite and say thank you I dread the task of rationing the candy over the course of weeks until half of it is thrown away or worse, eaten by me.

However one does what must be done.  Children prepared in costume the drill begins.

As darkness approached our journey carried us far away to the house on the back corner of the planned community that is positioned in a way that makes it feel like the lost cabin in the woods, the mood aided by the surrounding trees that are going to sleep for winter and the dreary gray sky.  My six year old informs me that she had been told the zombies all come from there.

Then suddenly as if by magic curse, her plastic pumpkin candy bucket split in two.  So I improvised as most fathers would and ran back to the house to grab some duct tape.  I understood if that vessel completely failed and spilled her hard earned provisions on the ground then the zombies would surely come to loot.

As I returned to my team of two daughters, her long time companion and three guards had combined forces into a blur of giants and little scary things.  I repaired the plastic pumpkin my princess mermaid carried to collect her treasure.

Satisfied for a moment I quickly fell ill and my mind turned mad. My princess then handed me a doll to carry for her and as her loyal assistant I accepted the task without asking why she had that object in the first place. I took a six inch piece of duct tape from the role and covered my mouth and began to moan.  I had become a zombie.

I was not interested in "fun packed" candy bars. I wanted to eat kids. I growled and acted like a zombie monster. The neighborhood began to fill with that unique sound of screams mixed with laughter that only children can make as they ran from house to house until as we made short work of plundering the territory.

Then a pause as time suddenly stood still. My youngest spilled her ill gotten gain.  I removed the tape and character as it was time for triage. An emergency of dramatic proportion had risen.  We must gather the candy from the ground within five seconds before spoilage, theft, or tears ensue.  Upon avoiding catastrophe my little princess looked at me and said "Dad put that back on and be a zombie".

I continued to chase the kids around as they screamed, laughed and looted. Growling and flailing my arms, hiding behind bushes and cars, carrying a doll in one hand a role of duct tape in the other I ran up and down driveways chasing kids up to doorsteps decorated with ghosts and pumpkins.  Real zombies don't act this way and I wondered what in the world other parents could be thinking not knowing how this all came to be.  

I tried my best to only chase my own who understood the joke but as other kids looked confused I heard both of my daughters explain to them "Don't worry, that is my Daddy".  Then they wanted in the game too.

Afterward I thought my gratitude for what what my kids remind me of each day.  The joy of just improvising, spontaneity and doing something silly in the moment mixed with their imagination can be enough for a great family memory.  I did not mind embarrassing myself for their laughter, after all it was Halloween and I had dressed up as a Dad.