Tuesday, October 31, 2006

E.I.E.I.O

I can’t eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup without thinking of Mark McMahon.
When I was a kid, and we returned home from Trick-or-Treating my mom always used to check our candy. We would dump the contents of our pillowcases on the kitchen table and with the help of my mom and dad we would make sure that all the candy packages were sealed and that there were no razor blades in any of the apples. Part of checking the candy would consist of taking all of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that we received and set them aside. There was a boy, Mark McMahon, in our neighborhood who was allergic to most foods. The only candy he could eat was Reese’s because they were all natural.

My mom always let us keep one or two, but the rest had to go to Mark. She assured us that he would trade us, piece for piece, with what he brought home in his Halloween bag. Each of us kids would tell my mom what we wanted in trade. I always wanted Tootsie Rolls. They were and still are my favorite candy. My mom would gather all the peanut butter cups and would tell us she would make the trade with Mrs. McMahon the next day.

I am sure there were five or six of us kids who gave up our peanut butter cups each Halloween. I estimate that we probably each gave four or five of the Reese’s to the cause. That is about 25 peanut butter cups out for trade. Most of us would forget the fact that we had some candy coming back to us because we already had so much other goodies that it didn’t really matter.

Now that I think about it I don’t think I ever got any of my Tootsie rolls that were owed to me. Either my mom made up the whole allergy thing so she could keep the Reese’s herself or Mark was a pretty good scam artist.

The way I look at it either my mom owes me about thirty Tootsie Rolls or Mark does.

I am still waiting.




Lauren is dressing up as a celebrity trying to avoid the paparazzi.




Maxfield is Old McDonald......andWyatt...



With an Oink Oink here and an Oink Oink there.

23 comments:

lawnwhisperer said...

Bill,

I will make it my life long ambition from here on out to try and determine exactly when you or I were inserted into the family. Some of the things that you remember never happened when I was around. So either you have memories from your real family, or I was away with my real family when these things occured. I will look into it as I find it to be a bit disturbing.

Teri said...

Bill, I would NEVER, in a million years, give up my Reese's. You were duped.

and LW is funny. This is not the first time that this issue has come up.

Your family is fabulous, especially Lauren and her costume. I think maybe she is famous and avoiding the paparazzi but you're just too "in the dark" to know who she really is.

And the kids. what can be said other than adorable, especially that Wyatt.

Lynilu said...

You mom was (is?) a gooooood con artist! Man I wish I'd thought of that! My siblings and I have discovered that we all have different memories, too. I've come to the conclusion that we all live with one foot here and the other in some strange world where things are *really* true. You kids are so cute. Don't you hope they grow up more normal than you? ;-) When they are babies like Wyatt, you can dress them up any way you want and they love you anyway! What fun!!

Anonymous said...

I reckon you should check Maxfield's shoes.

Anonymous said...

I remember Baby Ruth's losing their popularity after Caddy Shack but then regaining momentum after The Goonies.

Susie said...

My kid is sick. Being someone who loves candy, I mean, being a really nice mom, I may give her Motrin and send her out into the night anyway. She is scheduled to go trick-or-treating with a kid who has peanut allergies, which means we, er, my kid, will get all the Reese's, Snickers, etc. We'll give the allergic kid the Sweet Tarts. I must go now and try to get my kid well.

Hey, I know where to get the big giant Tootsie Rolls. Do you? Perhaps we could do some bidniss...

Anonymous said...

oh, that's a cute piglet

Anonymous said...

Cute -

Happy Halloween.

I love Reeses Peanut Butter cups. I don't really eat candy, but would manage to scoff down a couple of those if available.

Effie said...

Hey Bill--where's your costume?

Is Framer Max going to be pulling a little red wagon behind him with Wyatt in it? Wyatt's is so cute!

Anonymous said...

Much better than the pimp idea...one can only imagine what Wyatt would have been! The pictures are adorable!

Reese's, all natural what? You're mom is the best...I'd check the trash can for those wrappers.

Anonymous said...

Ten comments, and none here from momo9? Hmmmm. I find that to be a little suspicious.....

Kami said...

So nice of you kids to give up the cups. Those are the best. Do you think your mom ate them?

You guys are all too cute.

Anonymous said...

And what are you going to be?

Unknown said...

You know, things were cool in our household for a couple of Halloweens - Our oldest doesn't like chocolate and would give all her chocolate to ME. (We had to train her not to do it right on the doorstep of where they came from - I wouldn't want people thinking we're forcing her to do that.)

Now, though, the other two little clowns love the chocolate. Now I gotta share... :(

Anonymous said...

Momo9 doesn't like Peanut Butter Cups!!! I don't usually eat them. They are not a favorite! it is true about Mark Mcmahon. But I think it only happened one or two Halloweens. ( when L.W. was with his other family) William, I'm sorry, if you did not receive your trade. I don't remember! Tootsie Rolls coming to you in Fl. Be on the lookout.

Ortizzle said...

I dunno. In spite of counter-comments here, I still think this was a plot to sidetrack the Reece's. The real question might be, "Who did eventually get 'em?"

Anonymous said...

Bill, after reading your mom's comments...should have traded those reeses for cash...

Andrea said...

Totally off topic, William, but has anyone ever told you that you look like Billy Joel? Seriously. Dead ringer, especially with the unshaven look.

Platypus said...

Great post, William! I love Reese's cups but they're really, really hard to find over here so when I do stumble across them I tend to scare people with my enthusiasm. I'm sure you're mum was totally diverting them her way!

The costumes look great, they really do, but the piglet - in a league of its own! There's the photo you blow up to massive proportions for the 21st birthday party!

kimmyk said...

OMG...you totally suck. You just guilted your mother into sending you tootsie rolls.

I'm gonna try that.

Anonymous said...

Sponge Wyatt, Square Head

ToadyJoe said...

Hey, Bill! Happy Halloween! Loved the post, loved the family photos, and had a good chuckle with my Man over Maxfield's costume. Here in Idaho, all he'd get would be a drawling: "Where's Yer Costume, Boyyyy?" :)

Which is not to say he's not utterly adorable, which he IS. *big hugs*

Anonymous said...

I just love Momo9. And also, Lauren definitely has the celebrity look - she is stunning.