Halloween

 

 

Here is Kortnie, her brother, and sister all ready to do the town's trunk or treat last Saturday.  Graham is a zombie, Kortnie is some kind of purple spider thing, and Stasia is red riding hood. 

 

Tomorrow we will go trick or treating here in our neighborhood. 

 

It seems like Halloween with Type 1 Diabetes can be more trick than treat for some.  Not really for us though.  We just treat it the same as we always have.  Kortnie was diagnosed about a week after Halloween in 2009, so we had a whole year to prepare ourselves for Halloween and that is what we decided, that we'd just take it as it came and try to handle it much in the same that we always had before.

 

So here is what we do, first we get all dressed up and have some dinner, I try to make something warm, filling, and good for us.  Usually a chili, stew, or soup.  Then we head out, we live in a fun neighborhood where we know most of our neighbors.  Usually all the walking and excitement can make Kortnie's blood sugar drop a little low, so we make sure to bring a juice box and her test kit with us.  Of course, lower blood sugars also means she can have a few pieces of candy while we're out walking around, so we all share some candy of course!  We'd rather free-base her some candy than have a bad low and have to have her suck down a juice and stop trick or treating. 

 

Once we get home we still have plenty of trick or treaters still knocking on our door so the kids enjoy staying up for awhile longer to hand out candy.

 

Now, on to the good part.  How do we handle all of the candy our kids bring home?  I am a firm believer that not only does my T1 not need all that candy, but no kid needs all of that candy!  However, some candy is good in moderation, and Halloween candy comes in small fun-sized portions. 

 

First the kids dump out their candy, we give them each a ziplock bag and let them pick out the stuff they really love, you know, the good stuff like chocolate.  They also end up doing trades with each other.  We put their names on their bags of candy and we let them have a piece with lunch or dinner, and sometimes even as a snack, all in moderation of course, the candy will last them quite awhile, at least until Christmas.

 

Next, we take out all the stuff that is good for Low blood sugars and we put that in our Low Box (a box of treats we have for low blood sugars).  Some of the stuff we take out; skittles, pixie sticks, smarties, bottlecaps, sweet tarts, jelly beans, etc.

 

After that, Brian and I get to pick out some of our favorites.  I love those peanut butter taffy things wrapped in orange or black paper, the fat tootsie rolls, and the flavored tootsie rolls, oh and cinnamon bears! 

 

Now whatever is left we either save to make gingerbread houses at Christmastime or hand out to the kids still knocking at our door.  

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween! 

Stay Safe and Have Fun!

and remember...

Let Them Eat Candy!