My daughter is 13 and decided she would not go Trick Or Treating this year. Fine. But the last few years she also said this then at the last minute decided to go. Then she got frustrated because she couldn't eat most of the candy she got. She has food allergies. Peanuts and wheat among other things. Well this year due to some other medical issues she has been put on a low carb diet. So she really shouldn't be eating any candy at all. In fact we decided not to give out candy this year. Just some new fruit snacks made of all fruit. They are either Fruit Rollups or Fruit By The Foot. Can't remember which. But we got them at Costco.

She takes dance classes 5 days a week and always on the week of Halloween they are allowed to dress up for class. And in Hip Hop they always do Michael Jackson's Thriller. So even if they don't dress up for the other classes, the hip hop teacher likes them to dress up or at least put on some makeup for that.

I reminded her repeatedly about the costume. I even took her to a Halloween store. But she just kept saying she wasn't going out Trick Or Treating so wouldn't need a costume. I reminded her three times about Thriller.

Now all of a sudden it dawned on her that she had no costume for dance. Said I never reminded her. But said it would be okay because she would just get something from home. Well she has nothing! She cleaned out her room last year. Got rid of most all of her toys except for her Barbies. And pretty much all of her dress up stuff. It was mostly too small anyway. I did get her a black tutu once which she wore with a witch hat for Thriller but it was several years ago. Might not fit now and she seems to no longer have it. The only thing she found was a pink tutu that I bought her in (I think) 2nd grade. I know it would not fit now. And she has her old dance costumes. But nothing else. But she said that was okay because she would just put some black around her eyes.

Then it occurred to me that I no longer have a black eye pencil. I had one in years past but I got rid of all my old makeup. She does have makeup for dance but only a brown eye pencil. So I asked her if she wanted me to buy her some black makeup and she pulled an attitude and said, "no". So I asked her what she was going to do for Thriller and she said she didn't know.

Then today she brought home an invitation from a friend to go Trick Or Treating. Which would be fine with me if the friend lived near here. But she does not. If I were to drive her there that would take about a half an hour each way. And seeing as how my husband (who is in the military) is not here at the moment, there is nobody else to drive her. I did talk to the mom of the girl who sent the invitation. She could not come pick my daughter up because she has other kids as well. So I told her given the lack of costume, the low carb diet and me not being able to get away, my daughter could not come. So now my daughter is angry with me. Somehow it is all my fault that she can not go Trick Or Treating.

I just don't see the point. Yes, I know she wants to be with her friends. But she was telling me prior that this girl isn't even a friend any more. I guess according to the mother they just have no classes together in school this year and don't have lunch together. So maybe that's why. But I don't want to leave my house alone for about an hour when kids are coming by. We went all out to decorate it so I know we will get a lot of kids. I also don't feel comfortable just leaving the bowl outside the door. We get a lot of people who remember our house from year to year and I have had problems with some older kids grabbing huge handfuls of candy for their bags and then telling me they only took one. These are not people we know.

I also feel she is old enough not to go out any more. I do know other kids her age do it. But my parents told me age 12 was too old and I could no longer do it. She can not eat the candy and neither can I. I am diabetic. Her dad can not eat it either when he gets home because he is overweight and the military has him on a strict diet. In fact nobody in my extended family can eat the candy for various reasons. So we have no need for the candy.

And then there is the lack of costume. And frankly, buying one now is out of the question. I agreed with her not to go shopping this coming weekend. We normally go to either Target, Costco, Winco or often all three. I bought extra food so I will not have to shop. She has been complaining about not having a day where she can just stay home. And it's true. So I spent more money than I usually do. Yes, I will have to buy a few things like bread and produce, but I agreed to do that on my own while she is in dance class. I could afford to buy her maybe $10 worth of makeup if she needs that. And maybe some sort of accessory for dance. Like a scarf or something for her hair. But I don't have the money now for a full costume and she wasn't able to find one that she wanted anyway.

So... I guess I am just venting. But apparently I am the bad person now. She is sulking and pouting and doing her nails in the other room. She does have some of that stick on Sally Hansen nail polish with ghosts on it. I did buy her that some time ago. She is angry with me that she has no costume. But... I tried for weeks for her to get a costume. Took her to Big Lots, Target, Walmart and even Spirit Halloween. She found nothing she liked. And now I am the bad guy for not letting her go out Trick Or Treating. Bah!