I dislike Halloween. I love the pumpkins, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie, the fall colors and crisp night air, but I could do without Halloween. When I was a little girl my mom got so excited to dress me up for my first trick or treat experience, I was ready to go, bag in hand, when I changed my mind and begged to stay home. Another year I was a nurse and someone in my family had the brilliant idea that I should collect all of my candy in a bedpan, not knowing what a bedpan was I conceded until a little girl at one of the houses opend the door and said "look mommy, a toilet". Although these stories hang heavy in my mind, it isn't these memories that caused the sour tast in my mouth. It is the parties and the overwhlming expectation to be "creative". Don't get me wrong, I love to dress up, give me a themed party and I am there with my Egyption, decade, pirate or golfer garb on and ready to p.a.r.t.y., but leave the spectrum of costume glory wide open and my creative juices freeze immediately.
So here goes nothing...another Halloween, another costume crisis in which Chris and I will pull something together at the last minute and call it good. Show up at the party, out costumed by creative overachievers who I secretly admire for genius use of props, glitter, feathers, masks and more. P.S. Scarlett is going to be a skunk...and I must say I really enjoy dressing her up (she has worn it twice already for no reason)...I have a feeling all future Halloween joy will come from letting my creative juices fall purely on my kids.
