Living Leffew!: Costume Drama...

My Granny Turner loved Halloween. She was best known for her witch costume and her candy bowl that contained at least 1000, if not 2000, pieces of Double Bubble chewing gum. Granny's house at 509 Spears Avenue was a hot spot for Trick-or-Treaters. Every year, her "candy" was the same. Every year, you were allowed "two pieces, only two pieces." And every year, her bowl would be empty by the end of the evening! And if someone showed up after that....they probably got a Little Debbie from the kitchen shelf! No one left Mrs. Turner's without a treat. Now, she was known to "trick" a few times, too! One year, she crashed a party that some of the grandkids were attending. She, in her witch costume, entered and wasn't recognized. Until, she got tickled and laughed. Disguise busted!!!

Where am I going with all this nostalgia? Well, Halloween on Spears was always fun and I want Laik to have just as many good Halloween memories as I do. Granny had the right idea. She did the same thing every year; the witch costume, Double Bubble chewing gum and laughter.

But I, have costume drama! Let me just tell you what I mean:

2010...the bunch of grapes! I have a story to tell about those grapes. Laik was just four months old and I was clueless as to what his costume was going to be. The problem with costumes is: ME! I do not like kids characters costumes, I don't like clothes that are scratchy, and I don't like the thought of someone else having the same costume at every street corner. I do like being creative and sometimes, that isn't easy! I thought making him a scarecrow and carrying him in the Baby Bjorn would be perfect. On the dress rehearsal about, let's be serious, the night before Halloween, scarecrow idea....OUT! So, here is the secret to the bunch of grapes....it was a dog costume! I was walking through Target to get "treats" for my nephews ON Halloween Day. And scampering through trying to come up with an idea of what my baby boy was going to be for his first Halloween. I was walking the aisles, close to tears, and the yellow lab on the package caught my eye! It was perfect, the velcro strap would hold the costume around the BabyBjorn and I could be the vine! Thank you, God...John 15:5. And that was Halloween 2010...the bunch of grapes! And just as sweet!

2011...the year of the bubble bath! Prior to Laik's birth, I took a bubble bath every night, yes, every night! (right now, I could count the number of bubble baths I have had since he was born on my fingers, and a few toes!) Having a 16 month old, that was not walking really limited my options for costumes, so I thought. The grapes had been cool the year before, so I knew I had to be creative. He was definitely too heavy to carry, so stroller or wagon it had to be, but what??? And the bubble bath idea was just right. We used his Radio Flyer wagon, foam board, a white goose down comforter, white balloons (attached with safety pins to the comforter) and added bath accessories. With all that, Laik had his very own bubble bath in a rolling "claw-footed" tub....just like Mommy. And that was Halloween 2011....who doesn't like a bubble bath?!?!

2012...Halloween was quickly approaching and my ideas were spinning about Laik's costume. Due to the fact that Laik continues to be unable to walk, Todd and I knew that we would use the Radio Flyer again, or not, or so!
Idea #1: To be Ravioli or Spaghetti and Meatballs...the kid loves both!
Idea #2: Use his wheelchair and make it look like a Front-End Loader...This year there were numerous photos posted on Facebook of children in wheelchairs that had been decorated in really cool ways for Halloween. There was an ice cream truck, a drummer in a band, and a front-end loader, etc. So, I brought his wheelchair home from Siskin (Friday prior to Halloween) to get ready for the big day. All that Todd and I did was stare at it and we just could not make the front-end loader look the way we wanted it to look.
Idea #3: A Duck Blind...this would be perfect! Just put the grass around the chair, put a covered top on it and it would work. WRONG! Sit and stare, Round 2. Pros outweighed the Cons; supporting the grass, keeping it out of the spokes, making sure it wasn't too high that Laik couldn't "see out"...blah, blah, blah, blah!
Idea #4: A Duck Blind...with old faithful, Radio Flyer! Let the construction begin...6:45pm Halloween Eve...construction ended, 12:30 am, Halloween Day! (We always do our best work under pressure!) As Todd and I sat admiring our (mostly, his) work at just after midnight, we were both smiling and could not wait to see our Carhartt camo-wearing two year old in the blind! And this was Halloween 2012...