By Rachel Gilliam

The official number of Gilliam children wearing pumpkin costumes on Halloween: One.

Livvy was headed out the door in some random pink-and-purple polka-dot pants and I convinced her to put the pumpkin on top.

Anna dressed herself in an assortment of princess dresses and tutus because four-year-olds don’t really value the “more is less” sentiment.

She also packed a bag to take with us that included a banana, a toothbrush and two baby-doll outfits. Packing a bag is one of her favorite pastimes these days, because you never know when you will have an emergency requiring a bobby pin or a baby-doll diaper.

Brandon did point out that we have actually used something from one of her bags more than once, so who am I to judge? We may get her a Swiss Army knife for Christmas.

Maybe I should take a cue from her, because this year all my advanced preparations were clearly for naught.

We participated in a trunk-or-treat a few days before Halloween, but because of the weather, it took place inside. After arguing with my children for the 800th time about pumpkins, and no actual trunk to decorate, I kind of lost motivation and the adorable pumpkin patch I had envisioned in my head became an empty folding table.

Anna wore a princess dress, and I think I was in a bad mood about something. I’ll blame it on the fact that I was still recovering from my recent bout with strep, because really that’s all I’ve got.

At some point, I looked at Brandon and told him that next year I was going to do a better job at coming up with a theme, and he pointed out that just having a theme at all would be a step up.

I’m sure at the time it annoyed me, but in retrospect he has a point.

My light-up pumpkins spent the evening on my porch, which was just as well because when I got home I discovered that they didn’t actually work anyway.

Anna would have tested those things out in August, and packed them in her bag along with an adapter and some duct tape because you just never know.

She is on track to be six-feet-tall, so she does get something from me.

I do think the girls all had fun trick-or-treating with their friends, so I’m still calling this year a win.

Also, I convinced Anna to give me her red Skittles because I’m not proud. Plus, you know, the pumpkin.

I’m totally over it. Really. It’s fine.

Rachel Gilliam is a former Sun staff writer, wife and mother of three girls.