Reader,
So now that it is the last day of September I can officially focus on Halloween. Truthfully, I've been thinking about Halloween 2010 since November 1st 2009! As soon as the makeup is wiped off, and the candy combined in to a communal dish (this is how I keep my kids from fighting about it), and tasted, my thoughts turn to my costume for next year.
I love to dress up in costumes. Always have. Probably comes from having parents who majored in Drama in college. Early on, my brother and eye would scour thrift stores for clothing to make our pretending more real. I didn't play princess or fairy, it was Sherlock Holmes or GI Joe for me. My parents were always into Halloween too. I remember watching them get ready for the holiday. They would hire a sitter and go to costume parties every year. Often they won top prizes too. My mom usually made our costumes and Dad made the props and did the make up. We'd head over to my oma's (that's my mothers mom) neighborhood and meet up with my cousins. Trick or treating was a family activity. Extended family too.
It's not the same for my boys. I have and older brother who has two children, one is 13 the other 3 months. One is too old to trick or treat with mine and the other too young! My sister is 20 and usually walks with us as we take the boys house to house. My mom too joins in whenever able. I wish I could create costumes for my kids to wear, but really, its hard to compete with store bought these days. Remember when it was just a printed plastic sheet and lousy mask. You couldn't ever see or breathe through those masks! But now, fake muscles and everything, I can't compete! Sewing or price wise!
Every year for the past 5 years (I think) my uncle (Dad's side) has thrown a wonderful Halloween party. It's very kid friendly. Not too scary and lots of treats. We love it. We all dress up, even my Grandma! There's chili and other snacks, pop and beer, and lots of funny costumes. My aunt and uncle spend a lot of time setting up Halloween decor. There is even a "spook walk". We walk a path decorated with creepy tombstones and scarecrows, waiting for the spooks to jump out (usually my cousins and brother). After the walk is a large game of hide and seek. We play in teams and it goes on for hours.
I think my boys are getting a different kind of Halloween than I did, but maybe a better one. The party is usually the weekend before the actual holiday so they still get to trick or treat. I get to dress up, play and see family. I also get to watch them trick or treat. It's great to have that special time watching them ring the doorbell, learn to say thank you, and then run to me telling me what they got. My parents missed that. With a crowd of cousins, we were always running ahead of the grownups. I get to hold my boys hands a little longer since it's just us. That's quickly becoming my favorite part of Halloween....okay, after costumes.
What about you, reader? How do you celebrate? What was your favorite costume as a child? Do you make your kids costumes? Let's share.
Once upon a midnight dreary,
Margo
Since we're from Germany and people there don't really trick-or-treat, we're loving it here! And I get the part with holding their hands - Leonie still allows us to hold her hand and we gladly do so, because there will be the day when she won't want it anymore! We usually go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood for 1-2 hours and after that we have a block party with a lot of neighbors, also with chili, mac'n'cheese and lots of goodies and treats! We play games, too, especially hide and seek, so we do pretty much the same thing here!
ReplyDeleteAbout the followers, I don't know why, but it really excites me when someone decides to follow my blog - maybe some other bloggers don't think that's such big of a deal!? Or maybe they're happy with their over 200 followers! I'm ecstatic about every single one! Stupid, right?
I grew up on a farm several miles out of the nearest town. I remember only one Halloween where I actually trick'r'treated. Halloween usually consisted of my mother buying a bag of candy and renting some scary movies.
ReplyDeleteWhen Margo and I got together I had a hard time getting excited about this spooky holiday, but over time I learned what I had been missing.
Now each year a small part of me still tries to resist, but I always give into the spirit. Margo and I even have begun making our own costumes/props. I am sure she will post pics of hers and maybe mine this year (they're going to be awesome). I love how excited my family gets around Halloween. Today is Oct 1, which in our house is the official start of the Halloween season. Our kids were already going insane talking about their Great-Uncle's party and trick'r'treating.
Love you babe,
Ty