My Favortie Holiday -- It's Not Christmas.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays.

Pumpkins, costumes and all the haunting decorations thrilled me as a child and still does today.

What I love about Halloween is the escapism of the holiday. It's the one day out of the year that you can transform into someone else.

As a young child I guess Planet Of The Apes was a popular costume in the 70s. This is me in my ape costume trying to be scary. Not sure if I accomplished it?

But, when I became a teenager, Halloween was a chance for me to express my exotic side as a belly dancer. I must have worn this costume for about three years in a row.... no joke. I had this costume custom made for me. And, I loved it.

I remember begging my mom to let me go out to Club Nu on South Beach in the late 80s to a big costume party they had every year. My cousin Maria, her best friend, Hector, and I all had fake IDs. Maria and Hector were several years older than I was, but we all loved to dance and the Halloween Party at Club Nu was the place to be on fright night. "Pleasssseeee mami", I would beg and she always gave in with the one condition that I had to go to school the following day. Of course, I never went to school the next day. But, that never stopped me from promising and it never stopped her from saying, yes. Those Halloween Parties are fresh in my mind and they were a blast.

Now I enjoy the holiday through my kids. Watching them pick their costumes pretending to be ninjas, cowboys, and lions thrills me. Watching them ask for candy door-to-door makes me laugh. "Trick or treat Halloween give me something good to eat," sings the boys with candy bags opened at the doorsteps of our neighbors homes. All of it tickles me.

There are few days left till my favorite holiday. We still haven't gotten Ashton a costume and I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to go trick-or-treating with Austen and Dalton this year. But, I'm sure all the boys will have a blast on my favorite holiday. And I'll enjoy every second...

What should Ashton be this Halloween?