The Costume Challenge

Halloween has crept up on me once again. The event has been haunting the back of my mind for several weeks, but it wasn't until I received the invitation for a neighbor's annual Halloween Crazy Rook party. Suddenly it hit me. All three of my kids still need costumes, and I still need to come up with something for my husband and me to wear to the party on Saturday evening.

At least the kids have ideas. My son wants to be a knight in shining armor. I was feeling lazy and decided to see if I could find something in town. They don't make anything his size in my budget. (When I was in junior high, hardly any of us dressed up...it just wasn't cool. Apparently things have changed. Not only do they dress up, but they go all out.) The oldest daughter wants to be a princess. But not just any dress will do. She was looking through my patterns and found one that has "the perfect sleeves". The youngest comes up with the most creative costumes. She is going to be a dog princess. She wants a poodle skirt and she will wear a crown. I'm sure there are other details of the costume she will fill me in on later.

The husband and I always have to compromise. One year we go as something silly or clever, and another year we follow my tastes and go as something period or ethnic. Of course we always wait until the last minute to decide. This year is a clever/silly year. We have some ideas, but we haven't made a final decision yet. It has to be something easy because I will be busy making Halloween costumes for the kids all week.

It's funny that we like to dress up so much. For me it's the perfect way to be someone else and leave behind my boring everyday self for awhile. I guess that is why I like writing. It is another way for me to be someone else for a time and leave behind the problems and stress of everyday life. It is a way for me to experience a little bit of the world without leaving my own little spot on the earth. And unlike Halloween which only lasts for one day, I can write all year long.