For the past two and a half years, my children and I have been, pretty much, stuck at home.
We only go to necessary doctor appointments and to pick up online grocery orders.
We do not go to anyone else’s house.
And I rarely ever allow anyone over to ours.
Why We Are Stuck at Home
As the rest of the world moves on, we are still in the depths of this pandemic.
I have serious health issues, so I cannot be taking the risks with Covid the way that most others are taking.
My 5-year-old son, Ryan, has a low white blood cell count and we don’t know why yet.
And my 2-year-old daughter, Belle, is just a baby.
Why would I put her at risk?
So, while everyone else may be able to handle catching Covid…for us, it would be detrimental.
As a result, we stay at home to prevent from getting it.
As hard as it is to live this way, while everyone else enjoys life, we continue to stay strong yet still find ways to have fun!
Two Simple Rules for Halloween
I have very strict rules.
They are simply to keep us safe.
When we come in from playing outside, our clothes come off immediately.
Hands are washed.
Clean clothes are put on.
If someone comes over – even outside – we wear masks.
I know, I know… 
Some of you think that I’m nuts.
I know that many people don’t like masks.
I don’t like wearing them either.
But they keep us from getting horribly sick, so I appreciate the job that they do.
The Two Rules
The two rules for Halloween are just as strict.
We simply don’t trick-or-treat, and we don’t pass out candy.
That’s it.
But that pretty much sums up all of the Halloween fun, doesn’t it?
It’s hard on my son, Ryan, who wants to participate so badly, but he understands why he can’t.
And thank God my daughter, Belle, is too little to even know what she is missing out on.
Our Halloween Plans for Fun!
Just because we can’t participate in the traditional way, doesn’t mean that we still can’t have our own fun!
Instead of just celebrating one night, as most people do, we take the entire month and celebrate!
It is Ryan’s favorite time of the year, so why not?
I am not a big planner.
I like to do things on a whim and base it all on how I feel that day.
For the most part, though, we have plans and we will absolutely make the most of it – together!
1. Halloween Movies
There are some really great kid-friendly movies out there and we have some on DVD.
I know.
DVD.
Pretty ol’ fashioned.
But I like to be able to put the DVD cases out on the floor and let the kids physically see and hold them.
There is something special about that besides just picking with your eyes on a television screen.
They actually get really excited looking at the DVD cases!
Our absolute favorite Halloween movie is Mickey’s Monster Musical!
Now, we don’t watch Halloween movies just on Halloween.
Oh no!
We watch them just about every day in the month of October!
Snuggling in bed, sharing a snack and watching them is the absolute best!
2. Halloween Pajamas
My kids are really into the snug-fit pajamas.
They have been wearing the one or two pairs of Christmas ones that they have all year long!
I love shopping for clothes for the kids!
I found these really cute snug-fit pajamas, and they wear them every chance that they can get!
The nice part about being home is that you can stay in pajamas all day long, if you want to!
I prefer to get up and get dressed, but the kids are kids, so whatever makes them comfortable!
Also, with Halloween pajamas, I don’t have to purchase a costume because they prefer to wear those anyways.
Hey.
Save a little money, I suppose!
3. Trick-or-Treating in Our “Haunted” Home!
I know, without a doubt, that we have a spirit in our home.
But our spirit is a friendly one.
When Ryan and I first moved in four years ago, we had a spiritual event happen!
We spent our first night in our new bedroom.
Ryan was only a year old at the time.
He stayed in bed with me.
That night, we went to bed as we usually do.
When we woke up, the covers were tucked in all around us!
I kid you not! 
Someone had actually tucked us into bed in the middle of the night!
And there was no one else in our house but us!
Crazy, huh?
Since we can’t actually go trick-or-treating, we trick-or-treat in our own “haunted” home.
I pass out candy/little toys and the kids say “trick-or-treat!”
We dress up the place like a kid-friendly haunted house!
And I move fast with throwing on different accessories and try to run to each room of the house before the kids get there!
It’s a little stressful, but the kids sure do enjoy it!
4. Halloween Activities
We enjoy engaging in plenty of Halloween fun throughout the entire month!
Not just one single night.
We play Halloween games, make Halloween snacks and even do a Halloween dance!
We do a lot of the same activities that are in my article: When Your Child is Sick for Halloween: Ways to Have Fun!
Games, dancing, crafts, baking…
The fun is endless!
And at these young ages, so much laughter can come from one silly thing or two!
Our Moaning
Ok, sure, all of this is not the same as going out and having fun like everyone else.
I used to host Halloween Game Night parties and hand out prizes for best costumes.
Ryan and I used to trick-or-treat to as many houses as possible in the freezing cold, wet rain!
We used to attend all of the fun, festive community events right up to the date!
So, of course, we miss all of that.
I feel as lonely as a ghost sometimes when I see what everyone else is doing.
I may even walk around the house moaning and complaining.
But I cannot let it get to me for long because I have two little ones here who are depending on me to show them a good time.
Halloween – Here We Come!
So too bad for us that we can’t participate with the rest of the world.
But bonus, in a lot of ways, because we can make Halloween however we want it to be!
We don’t have to stick with regular traditions.
Or we can and just modify them to be as we need them to be.
Guess who gets to have extra extra time with her kids?
This lonely old ghost.
And guess who doesn’t have to spend a lot of money on costumes, candy and party supplies?
Me.
So, there is good and bad to everything.
You can learn to create your own heaven or hell, depending on how you see things.
The whole point of sharing this information about us with you is to let you know that you can make just about any crappy situation great!
All you gotta do is have an open mind – look all around you – (not just in one corner) and you can make anything spooktacular!
Have a safe and happy Halloween, everyone!
Love you all!
Mama Morgan is a single parent by day and a writer by night! She is raising two, young children with special needs during a global pandemic. She aims to give other parents confidence, hope, and a practical, down-to-earth reading adventure through her own experiences. While Morgan is heavily focused on caring for her little ones, she is also dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place. Mama’s Grilled Cheese is just her delicacy!