One very reluctant pumpkin, three generations of Halloween excitement, and a little reminder that we won’t get to dress him up forever.

Our son’s first official Halloween has come and gone, and I must say, it was everything we had hoped for. Well, almost.

The entire family had been eagerly waiting for his pumpkin costume to arrive. We had already imagined how adorable he would look in it, and I suppose we were so pleased with our choice that it never occurred to us that the person actually wearing the costume might have a different opinion.

As it turned out, our son was absolutely terrified of the pumpkin’s face.

He resisted with every bit of determination his little twenty-month-old body could muster. There was crying, protesting, and a great deal of effort involved in getting him into the costume. We eventually negotiated our way through the situation with snacks and treats, which, at this age, seem to resolve most disagreements.

And once he was finally dressed, there he was: the most adorable little living pumpkin angel we had ever seen.

Our collective parenting satisfaction immediately reached an all-time high.

Looking at him waddling around in his bright orange pumpkin suit, I couldn’t help thinking that these moments probably won’t last much longer. Before we know it, he’ll have his own ideas about Halloween costumes. He’ll want to be a superhero, a dinosaur, or something I’ve never heard of, and our carefully selected outfits will no longer be met with quite so little room for negotiation.

For now, though, we still have the wonderful privilege of dressing him up exactly as we please, provided we have enough snacks to secure his cooperation.

There was another unexpected pleasure this Halloween.

Our son wasn’t the only one in the family celebrating it properly for the first time. My mother was, too.

Watching her enthusiasm for costumes and trick-or-treating was almost as entertaining as watching our little pumpkin. I hadn’t expected her to enjoy Halloween quite so much, and seeing her embrace the occasion with such excitement made the whole experience even sweeter.

It was one of those small family celebrations where everyone seemed to be having fun for slightly different reasons. Our son was probably wondering why we had put him inside a giant orange vegetable, while the rest of us were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

And my mother had discovered a new holiday to look forward to.

Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which makes me especially happy. Thanksgiving has always been my favourite holiday, and I am already looking forward to celebrating it with the family.

Hopefully, this time, no one will be required to dress as the turkey.