Pre-Halloween

Every year the week before Halloween is a troublesome time for me as a mom.  I don't want to buy a costume for my kids at Wal-mart.  I want them to get creative with a costume and yet have been discouraged by their (okay, mostly my daughter's) unwillingness to be flexible.  The mermaid costume I make will not be as ubiquitous and as perfect as a plastic one from a chain store.  

In the past several years I have privately vowed not helped them hardly at all with regards to Halloween costumes, only to be disappointed later.  I will take them to the good-will thrift shop, and sit in a floral love-seat while they rummage through old t-shirts.  I will apply cat and Ang/Avatar make-up.  I will not spend hours making them a costume only to have my son wear something else at the last minute in a panic.  I am learning how to mother better, not more.

This year is no different.  I have been promoting more creative costumes, and brain-storming with them.  My daughter will likely be some colorful, whimsical-something-or-other, bemoaning that she does not have a plastic costume from K-mart, and cute as a button!  My son this year wants to be a hiker.  He thought of this all on his own.  I thought it was a great and creative idea.

Today I figured out where he got his idea.  My parents are out of town, and I am feeding their new cat. Also, all week we have been collecting hiking stuff from our stash in the closet.  Standing inside my parent's house today, we spied the perfect hiking attire.  A walking stick by the door and a hat on the hook.  My boy grabbed both, ready for Halloween.  It turns out he is not only dressing for Halloween as hiker, but also his grandpa!!