Okay, I need to get something off my chest. I really don't enjoy celebrating Hallowe'en. I know, I know. What's wrong with me, right? Ro LOVES Hallowe'en - the prospect of dressing up and getting candy blows her mind. Almost literally. So what is up with me and Hallowe'en?
First off, I'm not a super creative person, so coming up with ideas for costumes is killer, and then trying to implement said ideas pushes me over the edge. I've never been to a costume party or Hallowe'en party. To me, those endeavours would rub my "non-creative" lack of skills in my face and I don't need that. Period. Thank goodness for Winners, who bailed me out this year with Ro's Princess Kate dress. :) ADORABLE! And our dear friend, Christa, came up with the idea of the princess and the pea themed costumes since I already had the princess costume and pea costume (bought it last year for 75% off after Hallowe'en. Who knew an infant-sized costume would be too small for my 10 month old?)
And yes, I did cut holes in the bottom so she could fit into it. You could hardly tell when she was sitting. Really. Kind of. I tried to stuff all the stuffing back in. *Sigh*.
Ro saved my "idea black hole" for the mattress (yes, I dressed up as a mattress) by suggesting I wear Vi's change pad. A quick search online for Serta's logo, a little chalk and blue construction paper, and voila, I was the mattress in the princess and the pea.
Second, I don't enjoy spooky, scary stuff. I decorate with pumpkins, and we don't even carve scary faces. We don't even carve our pumpkins. I know, lame, huh? But Ro gets a lot of pleasure (can't you tell from her facial expression??) from sticking stickers all over her pumpkin and what mother could take that away from her child?? Not me. Maybe someday we will carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds. Maybe. But I have these not fun memories of trying to cut pumpkins with my mom, with a knife that wasn't quite sharp enough...
Third, trick-or-treating generally happens late at night (relatively speaking, for the Smiths). How early can one start? As soon as I hear another family, we are out the door. This year, we started at about 6:15. Good thing since I turn into a pumpkin when it gets dark. Now, that being said, Ro was in bed at her normal time, and Vi was only 20 minutes later than normal. And I didn't turn into a pumpkin after all. Phew.
Fourth, we all become candy/chocolate gluttons. We end up with tons of junk food. In fact, I had to throw out the remainder of last year's stash so I could use the bowl for this year's handouts.
However, here is what I do love about Hallowe'en:
1. I love being out with our neighbours, catching up, oohing and aahing at the little ones' costumes. I just wish I didn't have to dress my little ones up (see number one above). Sorry, I digress...
2. I love that it is in my favourite season, autumn.
3. I love that our town does a Tots on Parade thingy. We went for the first time this year, and it was awesome. All the downtown merchants buy candy and the young kiddies get to go around trick-or-treating at 10 am. Brilliant.
4. I love that my kid loves it. And that she is soooo cute in costume. And that she wanted to be Princess Kate. :) I didn't have the heart to tell her that isn't Kate's title. Whatever.
What I will do differently next year:
1. Plan ahead. I will plan on going to the downtown celebration so I'm not stressed out of my gourd trying to get there on time and find a parking spot. I will not worry if my youngest doesn't nap though covered in her stroller for 1 hour.
2. I will remember a Hallowe'en bag for said celebration. Using your mom's purse is kind of ghetto. I apologized to one merchant and he provided us with a bag. Much better.
3. I will try on everyone's costumes ahead of time. If I don't, I will not care that I find out then and there that Vi doesn't fit into her costume. She was stuffed into it anyway.
4. I will bring change with me so I can park anywhere, instead of having to squeeze into a free spot that just fit my Accord, with one wheel up on the sidewalk. Ro kept reminding me the wheel wasn't where it was supposed to be. I almost offered to let her park the car, but I figured I had nudged the beat up Rabbit ahead of me enough. It was beat up before I nudged it.
5. I will have a better attitude all day. Ro prayed that I would have more patience and more love in my heart (after I prompted her to do so) and we were able to salvage our day, but I want to enjoy the whole day next year.
Princess Kate, downtown.
Vi, loving life.
I really do continue to live and learn,
Tam
3 comments:
I sort of love/hate hallowe'en too. I am just starting to find it in myself to get dressed up, and I actually had fun in my pirate costume this year, especially having a duel with Wyatt, who also happened to be a pirate. What I didn't love was the truly scary houses that we visited, or how Eden has been up both nights since and seems to be disturbed by all the scary things she saw. It was bad judgment on my part - I should have checked ahead and censored the really scary places. Why can't it just be fun dress up, not toddler terror? What's fun about a two year old with nightmares - people don't think. I think I have a few neighbours who should walk the plank. Arrr!
The great thing about being different is knowing when you don't like doing something and our friends and/or family like doing it then you tap into that resource.
I love dressing the kids up. Helping them figure out what they want to be. Creating with them and getting them excited. Unfortunately that time has almost come to a pass in our house.
So now it is my time to offer my friends that hate to dress up to let me help them.....hint, hint, hint. I have a box full of wigs, hats, makeup, costumes just waiting for the next cute child to use.
That was a hilarious post. Your writing kills me. And yes, we love the downtown tots thing too; always a blast. The princess, the pea, and the Serta mattress......fantastic.
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