Traditions

If you've been reading this blog for more than a year, you know that we don't celebrate Halloween in the traditional manner. We don't have neighbors to speak of, so going door to door for candy is a hassle. A few years ago, together with the Farmboy's sister and her family, we started a new tradition that has made our kids completely over-the-moon-happy.

It starts as you would expect, with costumes.

If I thought my girl's costume choice was great last year, then this year was the most incredible, proud-Mom worthy costume of all time. Laura Ingalls, complete with braids, a basket for gathering eggs, and some old school books. Be still my beating heart. The eleven year old couldn't decide on a specific character, but fell in love with a couple of plastic things from Goodwill, and therefore became Gladiator Warrior Guy.

And that is where the similarities to a traditional Halloween celebration stop. This being our Fifth Annual Halloween Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt and Pinata Party, it now feels totally normal and we have to remind ourselves that this isn't the way it's supposed to be. But we shrug our shoulders and carry on, because our way is amazing and fun and memorable in all the best ways. I hope my kids carry on with this tradition when they have kids, because that would be a true parenting success. :D

Gladiator Warrior Guy and Laura Ingalls were happy to find Pokemon Storm Trooper and Fashion Diva at their Aunt and Uncle's house when we arrived. The weather wasn't rainy for the first time in a couple of years, so the egg hunt ranged all over the dark yard, with the pinata strike zone safely held under the porch roof where there was plenty of light and a concrete floor for easy scooping up of candy.

But the highlight this year was probably the addition of watching Thriller. What we thought was a music video, the one we remember from our teen years, was actually the full version, including a young Michael transforming into a werewolf, much to the horror of our poor children, who thought we were intentionally giving them nightmares. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a really, really long time.

Traditions

I was happy to say goodbye to Disney princess attire this year. The eight year old had a hard time choosing between Hermione Granger (from the Harry Potter books) and Rey (from the newest Star Wars movie); both tough and smart girls a little more in alignment with my idea of a good role model than her previous two years' costumes (Elsa and... Elsa). The discovery of a costume set at Target that was just her size settled the deal: Rey just needed a hair stylist and she was ready to conquer the world.  The ten year old couldn't decide on a specific character, but fell in love with a $3 plain white mask, and therefore became Creepy Mask Guy.

I decided to get in on the fun this year with a super itchy rainbow wig. I don't think I was cut out for wig wearing, and the kids thought I was especially scary with the wig cap on because it made me look bald. So much for the dream of shaving my head so I don't have to deal with styling my hair every day.

You may or may not know that we do things a little differently around here when it comes to Halloween. With no neighbors close by and a general aversion to escorting our kids around so that they can ask for candy from strangers, my Sis-in-Law and I concocted a humdinger of a plan a few years ago that has made our kiddos very happy to be missing out on trick-or-treating.

There are still costumes and candy. And that is where the similarities stop. Our Fourth Annual Halloween Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt and Pinata Party also became a chili cook-off this year, and we added some more family members to our evening, making the fun bigger and better.

Creepy Mask Guy and Rey were happy to find two Kitties, a Greek Goddess, and a cousin who has outgrown costumes when we arrived. The weather was rainy, so all festivities took place under cover of the porch roof or indoors, but the Mamas once again won the day by creating an event to be bragged about, and the kids are already counting down until next year.

Steve and Elsa

If you've been reading this blog for more than a year, you know that we don't celebrate Halloween in the traditional manner. We don't have neighbors to speak of, so going door to door for candy is a hassle. A few years ago, together with the Farmboy's sister and her family, we started a new tradition that has made our kids completely over-the-moon-happy.

It starts as you would expect, with costumes.

This year we were once again visited by Elsa, this time wearing a dress found at Costco, which apparently is even better than the amazing one I concocted last year.

Whatever.

Queen Elsa was happy to have her friend Steve along for the festivities.

With torrential rain in the forecast (we felt sorry for all those PNW kids out there either braving the elements or stuck trick-or-treating at the mall), we moved our usual celebration from our house, to the roomier house of their cousins.

Ahem, I mean Pikachu and Ariel.

The traditional in-the-dark Easter egg hunt (YES!) was moved indoors, but was still quite dark and exciting. Headlamps? Check! Flashlights? Check! Buckets? Check!

Shortly after all of the eggs were found, we convened on the front veranda where the kids took turns beating on a castle pinata and chasing down flying candy, with a good dose of raindrops and leaves thrown into their buckets for good measure.

And swords. There were swords too. And sword-fighting Disney princesses, no less.

Followed by a puppet show.

At which point everyone was a little rummy from sugar and swords and beating up castles while dressed in costume, and it quickly got ugly with dying seals and other such nonsense which led the responsible parties to break up the fun until the next time.

Cousins are the best.

Themselves

Once again, we have made it through a busy October, finishing off with a day that so many associate with candy and costumes. And we are now no exception to the rule, we just choose to participate in a quite un-traditional manner.

Queen Elsa (Disney's Frozen) and Captain Kenway (pirate/adventurer) made appearances in classroom parties, then got freshened up for our Second-Annual Halloweaster Pinata Party.

Joined by their cousins, Super Spy Co2 and Queen Elsa the Second, they donned headlamps and sought treasures in the darkened front yard.

And thence traversed to the shop to hit at a dangling birthday present until it burst and let its contents fly about the room for gathering up.

And finally, before the grand counting of the loot commenced in the warmth of the fireside room, there were sparklers by the light of the moon, with remembrances of the festivities of July months past.

And once again, both sets of kids were so satisfied with the silly-fun-ness of our make-do holiday that they never once asked why they don't get to go door-to-door asking strangers for candy. And I call that a giant win for everyone.

Please know that I hold none of your traditions against you if you celebrate Halloween in the traditional manner. I might feel differently about it if we lived in a neighborhood of our own, but we don't, so this is what we do.

And now the story of the costumes... It was July, the day my girl and I were wandering the back aisle at our local Goodwill store. The day I heard her gasp so hard I thought she would suck all the air out of the room. The day she squealed in a not-very-her way "ELSA'S DRESS!!!". And sure enough, there it was, tucked into a section of passed-over prom dresses. Just my size, too, and at half price, only $7. Maybe I would be Elsa this year and let her dress up as Olaf... "Mama!" Okay, no... I guess not.

It sat in a pile on the floor of my sewing room for months before I finally brought myself to get out the scissors and cut all the extra length of satin from the bottom, but leaving the overlay of sparkly gauze to be her train. Then all it took was a few added hooks and eyes to cinch the back more tightly around her. Piece of cake.

The boy-child's costume was a bit more of a challenge, until I went back to the same Goodwill store and found the really ugly 1980's men's black leather coat for just $12. Out came the scissors again, cutting away sleeves and length to create his leather long-vest, and making him look much more tough than any 8 year old ought to look, who just dressed up as Sir Topham Hatt two years ago.

They were both thrilled completely with their costumes, and I was thrilled with the price tag. And the fact that they were two of the few represented in their classrooms that weren't wearing off-the rack getups. Score one more point for creativity!

How We Roll

Dressing up as something/someone other than your usual self can be so very, very fun. Don't you agree?

In our opinion, the one glowing, positive quality of that holiday we celebrate on October 31st.

Otherwise, we're a bit bah-humbug around here. The kiddos both enjoyed dressing up for school parties, but with our still-in-place ban on going door-to-door for candy, they were resigned to a quiet evening at home with family.

But they forgot that they and their cousins had truly amazing Mothers.

Mothers that understand how hard it can be to know that countless friends would be out gathering piles of candy without them. Mothers that know their little hearts that long for adventures. In the dark. And candy.

So what did those really, smart, highly creative Mamas plan?

A headlamp Easter Egg hunt.

Followed closely by a Green Dinosaur Pinata in the woodshop.

By far the best way to gather candy on Halloween, don't you think?

(Okay, you might not think so, and that's okay, I'm not going to mess with your traditions... but our kids were absolutely thrilled with their evening, and were still talking excitedly about it the next day. I'm pretty sure a new tradition had been born.)