Thanks Halloween, You Can Go Sit Down Now

One of my most beloved books from my (aged 5-9) childhood was Raggedy Ann and Andy Five Birthday Parties in a Row. In it Raggedy Ann hosts a birthday party for one of her little friends and the little girl loves the cake, presents and party so much that she wishes she could have a birthday party every day. Hearing this wish, Raggedy Ann decides to surprise the girl each day with another birthday party. The first few days the girl loves the parties but by the end of the book--5 parties in--she is tired of having no one to play with (they are all busy getting ready for the next party) and sick to death of birthday cake. She decides that birthday parties are special because they don't happen every day. And you know what? Halloween is special for the very same reason. Which is why after being bombarded by festivities this year I am ready to say Uncle until next October. I know. Just last week I was lecturing you all on appropriately appreciating the season. And now I'm back to whine. Whaaaaaaa! (Just blame it on two trunk or treat parties, a neighborhood Halloween party, Activity Days dress up, a Halloween themed Pack Meeting, THE REAL HALLOWEEN, and the school costume parade/class parties.)

I found this on google image whilst searching for the Raggedy Ann book. I think nothing captures the quaint charm and wholesomeness of Raggedy Ann and Andy quite like this tattoo.

So here is a quick recap of "the costumes" this year. Please note the absence of Sid, who now at the mature age of nearly 14 no longer feels the need to dress up. I admit, it kind of saddens me.

While attending my parent's trunk or treat party, my favorite costume of the whole season showed up
Pie's costume this year was to be the next American Idol. Me? I thought I'd keep it simple 'n classy.....

Tommy completely took the wheel this year and wouldn't hear any of my hints about being Max, The King of all Wild Things. Instead, he opted for being a skeh-wwy ghostes. I was pretty let down. I spent $4 on a flat white sheet at Wal Mart and painted him ghoulish. For a whole week in September he insisted that he would be wearing a ghost costume "wif a toilet sticker (plunger) on da top of my head". I actually thought that he might be onto something there, but upon further reflection he decided against it.

Calvin knew early on that he wanted to be a chicken for Halloween. I think the hardest part of actualizing his vision was making sure the chicken wattle and comb didn't look the least bit s e x u a l l y suggestive. Because if there is anything I have learned through years of making homemade Halloween costumes is that you have to ask yourself that particular question repeatedly throughout the creative process.

Jon knew months and months ago that he wanted to be a reindeer for Halloween. I convinced him to settle on Rudolph so as to prevent people from repeatedly asking....are you an elk?....It helped a little bit. If I am proud of any part of this year's costume making extravaganza, it is those antlers. Two coat hangers, a head band and lots and lots of glue gun (and maybe a farm word or two) went into the making of those antlers.

Ahh, Josie. The girl just knows how to give me fits. At the end of Halloween last year she announced that she wanted to be a gingerbread man this time around. I was excited. My mind immediately flashed to over sized ric-rac frosting! (admit it, yours did too!) Around the end of August I gathered up all my Jo Ann coupons and bought the main fabrics for all the costumes. And then I made the fatal mistake of telling Josie she needed to be a gingerbread girl, because, you know, Josie is indeed a girl. I even went so far as to suggest that the school wouldn't let her cross dress. Okay, I know that was a stretch, but there were some dang cute gingerbread girl ideas out there (pigtails, for one!) and I really really wanted to do it my way. The girl wouldn't budge. She dug in her muscular little heels. She said she'd rather be a reindeer with Jon. For about a month we were not on the same page whatsoever. And then the second week of October rolled around. And I capitulated. Because by then the clock was ticking down and more importantly, I realized I would rather go in for unmedicated dental work than make another pair of reindeer antlers. You don't think the gumdrop buttons look suggestive, do you?