Saturday was Margot’s first trick-or-treating Halloween, and her mother Nici, who I fell in love with in the dorms during my freshman year of college, thinks it is the last one that Margot will allow her mother to choose her costume.

I just loved spending the whole day following around this little creature, who came from two incredible people who I love dearly, and watching a new American learn the strange traditions for our wonderfully bizarre holiday.

The strange new behaviors Margot had to learn include… dressing in a costume that she was not allowed to pull off or touch, learning how to hold a bag and say, “trick-or-treat,” when she wanted something instead of “please,” and taking candy from strangers who were often wearing strange masks or hats.

Margot was not so sure about the taking candy from strangers part, and since she can’t really eat the candy either, I am not sure she got as much from the experience as we did. But we had lots of fun, and visiting five houses was just enough for us to get the candy we wanted.

And the day was complete with a bath for Margot and candy and wine for us.