It’s not earth-shattering breaking news, but it’s a feel-good story that is a welcome relief among all the other stories in the news. Halloween was celebrated at the White House on Monday. President Trump and First Lady Melania passed out candy to the children of members of the military and local school children.

The best part of this White House tradition is that it is one time that escapes negative political coverage of the president – at least as of Tuesday morning as I write this. The kids come to the White House and they are handed candy by the president and first lady. Easy peasy. The adults fawn over the kids, just like in neighborhoods around the country, and their parents are left to deal with sugar rushes at bedtime.

President Trump stood and handed out candy after a long day on the road, proving his ability to keep fully scheduled days as a person much younger would be able to do. He’s no Sleepy Joe. He traveled to Chicago Monday morning, attended a fundraiser, and delivered a speech at a conference for leaders in law enforcement before arriving back at the White House. Hundreds of kids attended. That’s a full day, especially for a seventy-something-year-old man.

The children dressed up as astronauts, military officers, pirates and dinosaurs as they greeted the president and first lady one-by-one Monday. The Air Force Strolling Strings played “Thriller” from Michael Jackson, “The Addams Family” theme song and other spooky tunes to set the mood.

A Halloween display of Black Forest trees wrapped around the columns of the South Portico, while pumpkins lined the staircases.

Melania Trump has a flair for decorating and this year’s White House decorations rise to the occasion.

This year’s White House Halloween decorations 🎃 pic.twitter.com/ZLTrtmwDHL

— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) October 29, 2019

Though Halloween became popular in the early twentieth century, it wasn’t until the Eisenhower administration that it was celebrated in the White House. Mamie Eisenhower, like Melania Trump, liked to decorate for holidays. President Kennedy’s young children brought about a photo of kids in Halloween costumes in the Oval Office. Pat Nixon hosted Halloween parties in the White House and Amy Carter celebrated her tenth birthday with a Halloween-themed party. It’s all good bipartisan fun.

This year the Secret Service showed off “The Beast”, the presidential limo, and NASA displayed a spacesuit worn by astronauts for spacewalks. The Department of the Interior gave out Junior Ranger Explorer badges, stickers, and books. What’s not to like?

My question is this – what happens to the candy once it goes into the child’s candy bag? Do the adults take the candy bar and save it as a sort of historic souvenir or does the child just dig in like any other treat? I think this a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a child and I’d hold on to the memento. If not the whole candy bar, at least I’d save the wrapper and frame it or something. I noticed Trump handing out full-sized candy bars, by the way, not the fun-sized stuff I hand out. Your mileage may vary.

I’m here for the smiles.

HALLOWEEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE: President Trump and the First Lady handed out candy to trick-or-treaters at the White House on Monday. pic.twitter.com/KZ5tn5zSgR

— Local News 8 (@localnews8) October 29, 2019

From all indications, a good time was had by all. So, this is your piece of fluff in the news today. You’re welcome. And, Go Astros!