The doorbell rang every 30 seconds.

Evidently we're on the list of Must Visit subdivisions for trick or treating. I guess because the houses are so close together? We're fairly densely packed in here.

Whatever the reason, the reality was all too real. They were practically dropping kids off by the busful. We had friends come over for dinner and they couldn't hardly find a place to park because there were so many cars lining the street. And this was at 5:30. The trick or treating didn't officially start in our neighborhood until 6 p.m.

I took the preschooler out a little before 6. This is the first year she has really grasped what this was all about. We were walking along and all of a sudden it hit her. They were giving her candy! Every house around her was handing out candy and all she had to do was say, "Trick or treat!" She made this little, "Ah!" sound and took off running as fast as she could to the next house.

Of course she fell. Splat, right on her face, pumpkin and flashlight rolling in two different directions. There was much crying. The next house had seen the fall, however, and gave her extra candy in sympathy, which cleared up the tears pretty quickly. Distraction, it's a wonderful thing.

The flashlight, however, was much better than the candy as far as she was concerned. In fact I wound up holding the pumpkin most of the time because she was having too much fun with Mommy's flashlight. She was quick to learn to say, "Trick or treat," not so quick to remember to say, "Thank you," which she is usually very good about. I think she was hypnotized by the magic and wonder of it all. Candy! Candy! Candy!

(Picture a dazed and amazed little one here, staring wide-eyed at all the houses full of candy.)

It was all so exciting that she didn't need candy to have her bouncing off the walls. She did that very well on her own. The few pieces of candy she was allowed to have was like throwing cooking oil on a gasoline fire. It made a difference, but not much.

It was fun. And I'm glad it's only once a year.