It wasn’t what my kid Lennon, 6, imagined it to be.

Somehow, he couldn’t associate the trick or treating that he expected with the reality that he was experiencing.

It finally became too much walking from one shop to another and falling in long lines with other kids for 1 piece of candy, leaving stores empty-handed because all the treats are gone, or mind-boggling still is being told to return at a particular time in others. At home, he could have his fill of sweets but doesn’t even want them.

At the far end of an outrageously long line of kids waiting to receive treats, he asked me whose idea it was that he go trick or treating.

We laughed at him because he had been anticipating the event ever since he learned about it last year from his friend Andre, and, several days before Saturday, he had been telling me tips for Halloween that he learned from Cartoon Network including one that instructed him to prepare his bag of tricks.

Lennon gets a candy during trick or treating at SM City Cebu.

When I told him that he of course begged to go trick or treating and even specifically asked me to bring back costumes for him and his big brother Dylan from Manila, he replied that he was not joining another one ever again.

The trick or treating at SM City Cebu last Saturday was chaotic; they just let loose the little demons in there. I guess though that was what made it fun, in an irritating kind of way.

There were times when we would be the first to go inside shops participating in the trick or treat activity, but suddenly get surprised by a million (they seem that many) kids swarming in from out of nowhere and even beating us to the treats. They’ve perfected the art of conquer and loot; we first-timers didn’t stand a chance.

Dylan and dad.

It was Dylan’s first time to go trick or treating, too. In his 11 years of Halloween celebration, we’ve never seen the need to dress up and hassle some salesgirl for treats. But my Lennon wanted to experience all the kid’s stuff he sees or hears about.

We finally decided we’ve had enough when, at a shop with the trick or treat sign, we were turned away because it was not 12 yet. Huh? The trick or treating was supposed to run from 11 a.m. to noon. Some stores were also as confused as us about the activity. First timers, probably.

Also worth mentioning here, although it happened in October, is my Lennon’s first camping experience. Barely recovered from dengue, my Lennon, after two weeks of being absent from school, got the go signal from his doctor to return to class on a Friday, which happened to be a camping activity.

Lighted candles and bonfire.

They put up tents on campus grounds. Lennon brought one, too. When it rained, the kids ran to the tents and sought shelter there.

His classmates recited poems and sang songs, which Lennon knew nothing about. I told him to just go along with the others in his group. Parents brought more than enough food for all those who attended the activity.

A bonfire serves as the finale to the camping activity.

At dusk, the teachers made a bonfire and the kids formed a circle around it. They lighted candles and sang a song.

This segue to camping is really so I could put the pictures in. I just found the photos I took of the camping activity, and some have turned out really okay so I’m putting them here.