As a teacher, I hate Halloween. As a Mom, I love it. As a person, I am scarred by memories of my mother's disdain for it. I won't get into the traumatic childhood memories, but let's just say that when I was seven I wanted to be beautiful and my own mother sabotaged me.
Joey and Noah have been busily readying for Halloween since early August. Noah's first impulse was to be Buzz Lightyear again, but when I suggested he try something new, he instantly (and oddly) clung to the notion of being Wolverine. We don't watch X-Men, Noah had never seen Wolverine in his life, but he loved the picture in the catalogue so much I had no choice. Unlike my mom, I'm a firm believer that Halloween is all about what the kids want.
Joey was also pretty quick to choose. I had to do a little fast talking with him to steer him away from anything bloody, slimy, or malicious, but after that it was an easy choice. Harry Potter all the way. We got Joey's First Day of School Haircut on August 31, and he's been growing it out ever since for the big day. Today.
Both boys went to sleep like angels (well, almost) and woke up with smiles (pretty much). Joey came flying down the stairs and announced, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It's HERE." He also had big plans. "I should leave my wand at HOME, Mom. Can't have anything happen to it at school before tonight. You know how kids are."
I was especially pleased about his costume because it meant he didn't have to change his clothes at school (something that causes me inexplicable stress--Gym Day is the bane of my existence). Harry wears a uniform quite similar to Joey's, so all he'd need to do was throw on his cloak and glasses and Ba-BAM! HP in the House. Joey leaves for school at 7:45. He was ready to go at 7.
Noah takes issue--every day--with the fact that Joey goes to school and leaves him behind. (He also takes issue with the fact that Joey comes HOME from school every day and steals my attention away.) Today was especially difficult, since Joey got to prepare for a Halloween party first. Just the same, Noah satisfied himself with Second Breakfast and a good book. At long last, we realized it was time to get dressed.
Noah barely remembers last Halloween, except that it in his foggy memory come vibes of joy and inklings of candy sweetness. So when I went to put clothes on him BEFORE his costume, we had a minor argument.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" was pretty much his side of things.
Just the same, he had to recognize that there was a gaping hole at the back of his costume that might leave him chilled, so he finally conceded. I suggested "sporty pants and a cozy shirt." He decided on, "Jeans, of COURSE."
It's also important to note that the above claws are not those which came WITH the costume. In the catalogue, cleverly pictured right next to the Wolverine costume, were these upgraded claws for only an additional ten bucks. Noah was all over this, and quite persistent in reminding me that he absolutely NEEDED the big claws, not the "baby claws." As you can see, he wasn't really expecting them to be so...well, big.
I'm not sure I can actually walk the walk this year for trick-or-treating, since I can barely manage walking upright from one side of my house to the other, but, unlike my Mom, I will not follow my children through the streets of town in my heated car. I will not roll down the power windows every twenty feet and holler, "Are ya DONE?" until they want me to melt into nothingness like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Rest assured, I will be out in the night with my camera, doing my best to lock every minute of it away in my memory. I realize every day how fast Joey and Noah are growing up (especially since they themselves remind me of it regularly), and there won't be too many more years that I'm invited. I'll take what I can get, kidney stones or not.
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