BOO!

Halloween is so much fun! Since Fall is my favorite season, adding costumes, silly games and trick or treating just makes it all that much better. Of course, I have had to live down the jealous glances and snide comments from my friends - both as a child and as an adult - because October is also the time of year my mom gets her sewing machine out. And every friend I've ever had wishes their mom had the mad-sewing ability mine has!



2006



Mother is quite the seamstress. She has spoiled me and my children by hand making every single Halloween costume we've ever worn. And they are/were ALWAYS spectacular.

None of those boxed costumes with a cheap plastic mask for me and my brother. Oh no....every part of our costumes were sewn perfectly. (I think everyone dreaded the costume contest if we were around. They practically just handed us the prize and walked off.) Raggedy Ann and Andy (with real yarn wigs), a mime, a witch, a clown....those are just a few of the costumes I remember sitting patiently waiting for Mother to finish.

And my girls have never once looked at the costumes hanging up in Walmart or Target and longingly wanted a rubber mask. They proudly march into JoAnn's and spend an hour hunting through the pattern books to find what they want Mums to sew for them. (Now Gracey has stepped up her game. She scours the internet - then makes adjustments to the patterns. Poor Mom could be the next Vera Wang by the time Gracey is grown. She's certainly stretched her design knowledge!)

I think it's so fun to dress the girls up and get them ready to go out in their costumes. When they were little, we went to the "carnivals" at various places. And now that they are older, we usually let the Trick or Treat with friends while the adults get some "chat time".

For a couple years, we even had a big Halloween party here at the house. Such a blast seeing all the kids come over - eager to play games and pretending to be whoever their character was for the evening. It's one of those times when kids REALLY get to be kids. They get to act silly, dress silly and just have a good time. (Not to mention get that sugar high that can only be felt after eating as much candy as possible in one night before their parents confiscate it!)

Kerry told me the other night that all of his Halloweens run together in his mind because he was Dracula so many years in a row. But the one that stands out the most is the one where his mom dressed him up as a hobo. Apparently, he HATED that costume. (Anyone who knows Kerry could probably guess how crazy those patches on his pants would have made him even at a young age. ha ha)

This year Gracey is a "Swiss girl" - whatever that means. It's a really cute costume - and she'll look great. Sadie, on the other hand, plans to be Candy Corn.  Yes, one big piece of Candy Corn.  Stay tuned for pictures of that next week!  In the meantime, I hope you are reminiscing about all your favorite Halloween moments!

PS. I hope my mom is able to sew for her great-grandchildren because I know they'd never want to wear any costumes I tried to make!