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October 15, 2008

Jane Drummond: Young neighbor keeps Halloween magic alive

In this life of rushing the seasons, I must admit I felt the pressure and the Drummond Halloween decorations were up a month early. It didn’t seem that unusual to us, though. We get a taste of it throughout the year because we live next door to Bradley Ryne Landsberger.

Bradley is a kindergartner at Carl Junction this year. He has been our neighbor for four years. Life next to Bradley is always, to say the very least, entertaining. In my entire life I have NEVER seen anyone get so excited for the holidays. This is HIS season.

Not long after the Landsbergers moved in, his mother, Anne, called and asked in a desperate and pleading voice if I would be OK with letting Bradley come over to trick or treat. She had tried to reason with him it wasn’t quite time, but Bradley had his mind set and nothing was going to stop him. (Did I mention it was June?) So, on a warm June day Bradley came over in his furry red Elmo costume, trick-or-treat pumpkin in hand. I had little prep time to get together some loot, but the kid seemed happy with a can of fruit cocktail and some old Pizza Hut mints covered with fuzz from the bottom of my purse. My girls thought he was so cute we had to take pictures, and he loved every minute of it.

We have had other random trick-or-treat moments over the years with Bradley. That’s why — when I was convinced by my younger daughter, Allison, that we should decorate early — we couldn’t wait to call Bradley when we were done. This has been our tradition for the last several years. Bradley comes over and tours every room of the house and “oohs” and “ahhs” over the décor. His favorite is our Halloween village, and I think he has every haunted house and ghost memorized.

When Halloween is this important to you, the right costume is very, very important. Last year, Bradley had a skeleton-bone costume, a cute alien costume and a last-minute clown costume. I think the hair was the final dealmaker to wear the clown costume. He wore the clown hair for weeks after Halloween to his school, Little Preschool on the Prairie, like a stocking cap.

This year it seems Bradley is debating being a “Star Wars” stormtrooper or skeleton bones for his party in Mrs. Stephens’ class and to trick or treat in. Regardless of what he chooses, I am sure Mrs. Stephens — a wonderful Carl Junction veteran teacher — will witness an enthusiasm like no other at the class party and annual field trip to the magical and wonderful Fredrickson’s pumpkin patch in Carl Junction. And as an adult, seeing the magic and enthusiasm in a child’s eyes brings back the fun for us. Not to mention that it keeps us motivated, as I am sure that the day after Halloween, Bradley will be over to help put up the Halloween decorations and ready to get out the Christmas decorations! I know he is ready, his Santa list is made!

So on Oct. 31, as thousands of kids hit the streets to collect candy and make memories, there will be a special bag of candy, maybe just a little bigger than the rest, waiting at our house for Bradley.

Jane Drummond is a parent educator for the Carthage School District.

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