Happy Halloween (Share Your Costume Story)

by Sariah S. Wilson

Just got back from the two hour candy spree with our little ones. The youngest two made it about an hour (it's very cold here, and they were very bundled up. The baby came back and enjoyed having a bottle while picking up pieces of candy because of the sound they made, and our daughter helped her dad pass out candy at the door, where she was very terrified of anyone in a mask). The next oldest made it about a half hour longer, and my oldest son and I were out until the bitter end.

My oldest son wanted to wear a costume similar to one I had worn as a child. Growing up, we were not a pick out your costume early and get something cute and nice. We were more of a what do we have around the house that we can make into a costume sort of family (and sometimes a what could mom sew for us family).

So one year when I was about ten, there wasn't a costume I could wear. There hadn't been time for my mother to make anything for me, and here it was the night of the ward party and I had no costume. Growing up, we had the awesomest ward Halloween parties that I've ever been to. Real booths with fun prizes, a huge set up, all these cookie and cupcake decorating stations, a haunted house in the primary room that the youth went all out to make - I still have very vivid memories of going to those parties.

The costume contest was always fun too, but of course, we never won.

Feeling panicked over not having a costume, my mom came up with a brilliant idea. She had me dress all in black, took an old vampire costume cape and tied it over the top of my head. She handed me a plastic pumpkin and said I was the Headless Horseman.

That year - to everyone in my family's shock - I won the costume contest (only time I've ever done so in my life).

My oldest son thought that was a great story and wanted to be the Headless Horseman.

And that lasted about two minutes tonight before he decided that wouldn't work (and was probably much better suited to a party environment than a trick or treating one). With a little face powder and red lipstick he became a vampire instead.

The other kids - one was a professional baseball player (where he wore his baseball uniform from last spring with a piece of paper attached to it that he had written the word "professional" on) our little girl was "Briar Rose Princess" (Sleeping Beauty), and the baby, who has the distinction of being the third son, wore the triceratops dinosaur costume his two brothers had worn before him (as long as they don't care, they're getting hand-me-downs. When he gets old enough to care, I'll let him pick out his own costumes).

Did you dress up this year? Have you posted any pictures of your kids' costumes? (If you have, put a link in the comments if you'd like to share with the group.) Or post and tell us your memory of your favorite costume growing up.