Halloween with the Optimist Club

Saturday morning spooks

My mom is a member of the Metro Milwaukee Optimist Club — an international organization that was founded in 1919 and aims to "bring out the best in children." Every year, the club mans a table at the Kosciuszko center's Halloween party on Milwaukee's south side. There's a costume contest for the kids, crafts, candy, and a DJ overplaying "Thriller."

I love costumes, but this year I was scrambling. I showed up all in purple and told myself I was a purple people-eater. I spotted my mom immediately when I walked into the gym; she looked like a zombie version of herself — ghoulish but adorable. "Where's Dad and Kev?" I asked. When she pointed right behind me at a tall biker dude and a basketball player drowning in his clothes & shoes and rocking an afro, I had to laugh — I hadn't even recognized them. 

As for the other costumes on display (and sadly there wasn't nearly as many kids as last year), we saw three Elsas (as in "Frozen") and a pack of Ninja Turtles — but a girl with her face painted like a Day of the Dead mask was my and Kevin's favorite. 

At the end of the party, the kids came around for trick-or-treating — which is code for us holding out boxes of candy and stickers and the kids taking one (or four) without ever saying "trick or treat" or "thank you." Honestly, not one "trick or treat" and maybe one "thank you." Maybe. Come on people! Teach your children well. So Kevin and I shouted our most exuberant "Happy Halloween!"s to each kid in an attempt to get one of them to lighten up. It didn't work.

Silent children aside, we had fun. And in a couple short months, we'll be back at the Kosciuszko Center gym for the club's breakfast with Santa. That is: crafts, candy, and a DJ overplaying "All I want for Christmas is You." I guess holidays have a pretty simple formula when you're a kid. I wish I could dress up as a Disney princess, remain perfectly silent, and have people throw candy at me!