Trick or Treat

   The air holds a crisp chill now and leaves are turning beautiful shades of Fall. Our days are getting shorter while that ever present excitement for this time of year is growing in my family. The end of the year brings so many emotions for me. It's a time of excitement as the kids plan their Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving and Christmas trips are planned and written in ink on the calendar, and lists begin to form from "to-do" to "wish".
   My sewing machine has been buzzing the past few days as I have attempted to construct a Tinkerbell costume for Emily. I have really enjoyed the process mainly because Emily is old enough this year to be very involved in the planning and design of the Tink outfit, but also because I know there will only be a few more years (if I'm lucky) that she will be participating in this fun childlike behavior of make believe. Soon enough she will be too old for silly things like "dress up" and trick or treating.
   Zach has long since parted ways with make believe and trick or treating, but finds himself in a bit of a bind this year. His friends annual Halloween party is tonight and you MUST be in costume to get in.  So, he has put it off until this morning to decide on a costume. I think he was holding out hope that he could get in without one.  We will all spend the day thinking of every  possible last minute costume ideas. However, I'm already certain as to how it will end. He will race in from football practice, take a shower long enough for three people, go through our list of ideas ultimately dissatisfied with all of them. He will ultimately go with the least embarrassing idea on the list. We will race out the door (late of course! lol!), and I will enjoy a lengthy one sided discussion of how stupid dressing up is and how dumb his costume is. I will watch as the panic intensifies the closer we get to the party and talk him down, as we sit in the driveway at his friends house, because he is trying to escape his costume and return to his comfort zone. Good times!
   The funny thing is that at the end of the night he will not be ready to come home because he is having such a good time. He will have realized with in minutes of arriving at the party that everyone is dressed up and equally as uncomfortable!
   Nathan had his heart set on being the Incredible Hulk this year but ended up having to go with a mummy costume because his first pick was sold out in every store! I was excited about the mummy costume because it was much better quality (more bang for my buck!), unusual (definitely weren't going to be a million mummies like the Hulk) , and he was very comfortable in the costume ( nothing worse than trick or treating with a kid that is miserable in his/her costume). He was very apprehensive about the new costume despite the high praise from older brother who doesn't give out praise very often. It wasn't until Saturday that he seemed to really lock in to the idea of being a mummy. We had been invited to a big Halloween party by some friends. Nathan wore his mummy costume and was a big hit! Everyone kept coming up to him raving about his costume. By the time we left the party he was in love with his new costume. He was also the ONLY mummy there!
   It's a new season in our lives as parents. Zach will be enjoying a youth group Halloween party instead of trick or treating with us, Emily will be trick or treating with friends for the first time ever, and Robert and I will be taking just one little mummy around to fill his bag with treats. I know it will all be a lot of fun, but it will be a different experience than in the past. Times are changing and our kids are growing up on us. Although I'm not sure what Zach will end up going as tonight (Robert has suggested Bobby Patrino with a black eye and neck brace!) I'm sure he will have a great time.
   The important thing is that I still have one kid left to haul in the candy for me! I mean....
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!