I’ll admit it.

I scouted a neighborhood before heading out to trick-or-treat. What’s a mom to do when she’s new in town, lives temporarily in an apartment complex and knows no one? My kids were so excited to trick-or-treat. I had to have somewhere good to take them.

I probably would have attempted trick-or-treating in the apartment complex, but when I left to do some last-minute Halloween errands at 12:30, more doors than not had this sign hanging on them:

The signs all looked the same, so I am not sure if the all the Halloween-haters banded together and shared their design or if the complex management offered fliers to folks. Quite different than the turn off the lights tactic in Philadelphia, but it did make it easy to know where to go and where not to. Clearly, we are considering extending our stay in this place because it’s so family friendly. (On the other hand, though, I totally get it.)

Not only did I personally scout the neighborhood…I suckered Kenny into a tour after picking him and the kids up from work and school. Yes, until our cars arrive hopefully at the end of this week, I have a Mom Taxi whereby I have been taking everyone to work and school and picking them up each day so I can run errands. Go ahead. You can laugh. It IS kind of hilarious. It’s Kenny’s favorite. Anyway, he didn’t really have a choice other than jumping out of the car when we drove past our complex…and let’s face it, there’s really not that much to go home to…yet.

On the family tour of the trick-or-treating route (I can barely type that with a straight face. It sounds so ridiculously dorky. Probably because it is!), Grace informed me that I missed the turn to our house. So helpful. BUT – we also spotted two houses for sale and grabbed the sell sheets for them.

We headed out at about 6:30. Four houses in, Kenny quipped, “Based on what I see so far, I want to live here.” Friendly, friendly families. Tons of kids of all ages. Nice couples handing out candy to the families. Pretty homes with decent front and back yards. Mostly all were decorated. It’s in the city limits, so we’d definitely be Portlanders. But the kids would go to Beaverton schools. Interesting.

We also discovered that we reaaaaaalllllly aren’t from around here. About halfway through trick-or-treating, there was all this animal screaming. Like a cat fight. But VERY loud. We just happened to be passing by a pack of those friendly, friendly families I mentioned earlier. My reaction was to halt the coach and say, “Kenny – stop walking.” Quite honestly, instinctively, I wanted to run the other way. Particularly when whatever was fighting popped out to the front lawn we were approaching for a quick, screaming tussle. The men in the friendly, friendly family pack, however, darted TOWARDS this screaming, bouncing pile of fur – I guess in an attempt to break it up. Nope. I wanted to run. Even our DOG would have wanted to run. He woulda been the first one outta there. I guess we’ll have to work on our breakin’ up animal fights skills.

Overall, though, it was a great night. And so good for us to see some young families like us!