My Real Life

Last Halloween post…I swear.

I was an only child. So, technically, all of the candy that I brought home for Halloween belonged to me.

Notice the use of the word “technically.”

See, I grew up in the seventies and eighties, and those of you who were kids when I was remember the years with the poison candy and razor blades in apples scares.

My friend, Gail, and I would walk the entire neighborhood (which was pretty extensive if you were willing to make the hike) for hours and come home with more candy than you can imagine. We’d be so excited, figuring out what we’d eat first and then next, etc.

However, I’d come home from trick or treating and my Dad would say, “You know, I better check out that candy. It might be dangerous.”

 He’d eat a piece.

“Yep…that one was safe. I better check another.”

And so it went.

Real Man is the youngest of four, so even though his Dad wasn’t eating his candy, you can bet that if it wasn’t carefully guarded, his sibling’s candy bags got fatter while his grew thinner.

So, Real Man and I have a rule around here that we never break.

 We. Don’t. Eat. The. Monkey’s. Candy.

 They are such generous little monkeys, though, and they always offer to share. We turn them down.

However, we do encourage them to share and trade with each other. This year, in particular, there was quite a bit of trading to be done, as Baby Monkey is allergic to peanuts.

Here is Baby Monkey’s haul.

We separated out the peanut/tree nut containing candy. Then, his brother and sister looked through their bags and found things that they knew he liked and traded for the peanut/nut laden candy. Monkey Girl took care of the Butterfingers and Monkey in the Middle traded for all the Snickers. So, Baby Monkey is left with a peanut free candy bag full of candy.

This candy will stick around for a long time.   My monkeys aren’t huge candy eaters.  They’ll want the candy every day, for awhile, and then soon, they’ll forget about it and start eating oranges and bananas again for dessert.  However, even if they want the candy, it lasts.  Here’s why.

We’ve got some candy rules in our house that would probably make most kids run for the hills, but it’s what the monkeys have grown up with, so they really don’t know any better at this point. They can have one piece of candy for dessert each night. You get a good year for trick or treating, and I don’t have to provide dessert until April!

Say what you will, but it keeps the dentist from having to fill cavities and it keeps the monkeys from turning into sugar addicted crazies.

For now.