Halloween 2011: the costume stories

Right now, my house looks like Halloween exploded. Kaleb got halfway through sorting his candy before getting tired, so there's candy spread all over the front room floor. There are piles of discarded costumes here and there. And every. single. one. of the donuts are gone (even the one I was saving for myself although, alas, someone else ate it; my donut appetite is annoyed but my belly fat is not).

I need to deHalloween.

Instead I'm trying to clean up the computer room, which has been the scene of all my Halloween sewing. First the quilt, then two costumes. Toss in the few scrapbook layouts I managed to make this month, Kaleb's piles of crayons, markers, and pens (he's been on a drawing spree lately), and the bag of new supplies I bought at Archivers (who had an actual SALE...I don't think I've everbeen to a sale at Archivers before last Friday), and yeah: this room is getting my attention first.

Still, a photo I love from last night's activities:

Haley was a leopard. She and I shared a costume this year, which turned out just fine since I needed the leopard parts on Saturday the 29th. (Note to self: Although I referred to myself as a cheetah, it really was a leopard.)

Jake gave me a last-minute costume meltdown. Sort of. He told me that he wanted one of those "this IS my costume" Halloween t-shirts. I assumed that meant he wanted to wear it as his costume. Then, the day before Halloween, he was like, "Mom! I don't have a costume!" and I was like "what do you mean, you have your cool t-shirt!" and he was all "but I can't wear that for trick or treating!" so I was in a panic to find him a cool, non-stupid, teenage-boy-appropriate costume. ON HALLOWEEN DAY. Haley suggested he be Frankenstein's monster, which really would only require a trip to the Halloween store for make up and then a trip to the thrift store for a suit jacket. Luck was on my side, though, as I found this Frankenstein's monster-esque costume at the Halloween store, on sale, so I didn't even have to go to the thrift store. Add some hand-drawn stitches and he was good!

Nathan was sort of unenthusiastic about Halloween in general this year. He wanted to wear the same cloak he wore last year but didn't want to be Aragorn again. He came up with the idea of being Robin Hood. Easy enough! I sewed his tunic and his hat. (I used this brilliant hat pattern to make the hat; I only had to cut out and re-sew three different times before I figured it out, but it still turned out great I think.) Adding to his Halloween letdown are the facts that his friend from school couldn't come over and the kids from the neighborhood didn't include him in their plans. Plus, in a horrible Bad Mother Moment, I failed at procuring a bow and arrow set from the dollar store for him. I don't think it was his favorite Halloween ever.

After much discussion, Kaleb decided to be a pirate. Actually...much discussion happened, and then *I* decided he would be a pirate because the pirate costume pattern was on sale at the fabric store for just $1. I finished his vest about a week ago and he wore it as often as he remembered to. At first I was sort of antsy about this, because I didn't want anything to happen to it. Then I decided it didn't matter. He could be a bedraggled pirate if worse came to worst. And nothing did happen, until last night when he was running in to eat dinner (pizza of course!) and he fell, scraped off the entire top half of a fingernail, and tore a hole in his pants. (You know...the pants I finished sewing late Sunday night, after the church Halloween party; another Mom Fail.) He was crying so hard over his fingernail and broken pirate gun, and terrified that he'd have to go to the hospital for stitches instead of going trick or treating, that he didn't even notice the hole in his pants. It's always good to look on the bright side!

How did YOUR Halloween costuming go?

Comments

[Becky K]

Costuming was a little last minute here too. Ben wanted to be Criss Angel, which I accommodated for at the halloween store. But then Thomas at the last minute decided to be Criss Angel as well, so we kind of threw his together. But I loved how they turned out!

I love the picture of your kids!!

[Chris S.]

Both of my kids knew what they wanted to be by the first part of Oct. My only stress with costumes was trying to find suspenders for Ash's nerd costume. Looked at every big box store imaginable, checked on-line but didn't want to pay the price or the shipping. Finally found them at Hot Topic in the mall, even on sale :). The rest of her costume was from DI and our toy box. Colin's Dracula was an easy buy from the Halloween store. All in all, it was a great Halloween for us. Except for the crazy neighbor in a gorilla costume that traumatized my son, but that's a whole other story!

[Helena]

I love the pic!

[funny facebook statuses]

I read Halloween stories,really that stories was very interesting to read.the picture you mentioned in this story is really very funny.