We have a countdown on the wall in our kitchen. We update it every morning, counting down the days until Halloween. For the boys, it’s a reminder of the days left until we gorge on candy and run around the neighborhood, laughing and sprinting from house to house.
For me, it’s a reminder of how many days I have to pull myself together costume-style.
When I was a kid, my mom made me a costume every year. There was only one year my entire life that I had a costume from the store. Every other year, she spent hours with me at the craft store picking patterns, then bent over her sewing machine creating a beautiful, hand-made disguise for Halloween night.
When I became a mom, I felt the need to fill her crafty shoes. Except there is one small problem…I’m more of a Pinterest fail than the epic talent she was. Every year I plan well in advance, then suddenly the countdown stares me in the face and it’s t-minus twelve days until Halloween and my boys are looking towards a naked Halloween because Mommy hasn’t gotten her act together.
This year started the same way. My older son decided that we would all be characters from Toy Story 4 (stay tuned for pics of the hubby as Forky!). I researched a ton of DIY costumes and mentally prepared to take it on.
Then, I started to think…would Will and Ben want to be a cute, store-bought Woody & Buzz, or a Pinterest-fail-finned stressed out Mama Woody and Buzz.
The answer? They don’t care! They’re just here for the candy, folks.
At the end of the day, the boys just want the costumes. They don’t care how or where they came from, and starting this year, neither do I. And, it’s twelve days before Halloween and I have their costumes in-hand and ready to roll. Jeff and I will be rocking homemade-ish costumes, and we’re all excited. Candy, here we come!
Plus, not having to make costumes leaves me more time to shop for candy and craft some delicious alcoholic concoction for all the parents who happen to visit our spooky abode.
