This story is a few years old and was published in a similar version here back in 2008.
I remember our first time taking the kids trick or treating in suburbia as if it happened yesterday.
We had just moved to suburban Westchester County from New York City, and our daughters (Maggie, age five and Kay, age three) were beyond excited to go "real" trick or treating for the first time.
We hadn't met many of the neighbors yet, so the only house on our must-visit list was Franklin's, whose mom was always really friendly and nice and had told the girls to be sure and come by that night.
As soon as Daddy got home from work, it was time to hit the mean streets of our neighborhood for some trick or treating. We walked up our block stopping at each of our houses, and then turned to go down the opposite side. As we got closer and closer to the house where Franklin lived the kids got more and more excited, "Daddy! You finally get to meet Franklin! Hurry!"
We got to Franklin's house, the nice lady opened the door and said hi, and we then had a conversation that went like this and has become the stuff of family jokes forevermore:
Franklin's Mom: Hi everyone! So great to see you guys!
Me: Hi! Maggie and Kay insisted that the house they wanted to go to the most was Franklin's!
I remember our first time taking the kids trick or treating in suburbia as if it happened yesterday.
We had just moved to suburban Westchester County from New York City, and our daughters (Maggie, age five and Kay, age three) were beyond excited to go "real" trick or treating for the first time.
We hadn't met many of the neighbors yet, so the only house on our must-visit list was Franklin's, whose mom was always really friendly and nice and had told the girls to be sure and come by that night.
As soon as Daddy got home from work, it was time to hit the mean streets of our neighborhood for some trick or treating. We walked up our block stopping at each of our houses, and then turned to go down the opposite side. As we got closer and closer to the house where Franklin lived the kids got more and more excited, "Daddy! You finally get to meet Franklin! Hurry!"
We got to Franklin's house, the nice lady opened the door and said hi, and we then had a conversation that went like this and has become the stuff of family jokes forevermore:
Franklin's Mom: Hi everyone! So great to see you guys!
Me: Hi! Maggie and Kay insisted that the house they wanted to go to the most was Franklin's!
Franklin's Mom: Isn't that sweet! I don't know where Franklin is right now, or I'd have him come say hello... honey (yells to husband) do you know where Franklin is?
Franklin's Dad: I'm not sure, I think he might have gone up the street...
Maggie/Kay Dad, under his breath: Who doesn't know where their five-year-old is? And they don't even know if he might have gone up the street?
Maggie/Kay Dad out loud: Hi, I'm Mike. Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about Franklin. So Franklin and Maggie are in the same class at school?
Laughter.
More Laughter.
Doubled-over laughter.
Maggie and Kay: Daddy!!!!! Franklin's a cat!!!!!
Maggie/Kay Dad: Oh.
And even now, every time the kids mention a new friend, Mike gets a very serious look on his face, narrows his eyes and asks them, "And is this new friend A CAT?"
Happy Halloween! Do you have a Franklin tale?
This is the first in my Halloween Week series. Tomorrow I'm sharing easy Halloween crafts.
Happy Halloween! Do you have a Franklin tale?
This is the first in my Halloween Week series. Tomorrow I'm sharing easy Halloween crafts.
This could not be cuter.
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