My Precious Ms. Peacock

Happy Birthday Eve to my beautiful daughter Sierra! This is a little walk down memory lane for her from October 26, 2013.

What a delightful place Denver is!  It's never about the place, though, it's always about the PEOPLE.  Spending time with my sweet girl Sierra just fills my heart UP!  I am so grateful for the bond we share.  

Yesterday as we were strolling through Nordstrom Rack, she stopped and hugged me, and said, "This means so much to me, Mom.  When I first moved to Denver, I would notice the daughters shopping with their moms, and I felt so sad.  I missed you.  I wanted to be shopping with MY mom." Awww...she is the sweetest thing ever!

Yesterday we were searching in earnest for a Halloween costume for her to wear Saturday night.  She kept hoping to find a ready-made TACO to wear.  

The night before while we were at Ted's Montana Grill, our favorite place for Red Rock Chicken Sandwiches, her friend looked at her and asked, "What is it about the taco that appeals to you? Is it just because it's so random that it's funny?"  Sisi nodded enthusiastically. I was puzzled, but not surprised. At Halloween, she either likes to be randomly silly, or very elegant. I was determined to help her find something besides a TACO costume.

The next day we hit the thrift store in Westminster. They had some AWESOME stuff. I found wigs, hats, and boas. Sierra would have none of it.  

"I am NOT trying on hats here, Mom.  I have a thing about lice."  I just laughed at her. 

"You don't have to try them on, but you have to take pictures of ME trying them on!" Ever the doting daughter, she complied. My kids and I had always tried on every hat in every store we'd ever gone to so I couldn't believe she wouldn't play with me. I guess this was our first "second-hand" headwear experience.  

As I donned this PERFECT white wig, I told Sierra I just knew that most of these costumes were only worn once by some darling little child having fun on Halloween, so I just get over any of the heebie-jeebies that bubble up in me, and try on the hats and wigs. It was so fun!!!  Sisi wasn't buying what I was selling, but she did take pictures.

As we walked through the aisles and aisles of costume possibilities, a brightly colored sequined dress caught my eye. "What about THIS?" I pulled it off the rack, and noticed immediately how tiny the dress was. The sequins were green, blue, and purple, and looked like a piece of Mardi Gras perfection. "This would even fit you!!!" I could tell by the gleam in her eye she was hooked. She held up the peacock-colored dress to her. It was perfect.

After we bought her dress and went to lunch at Macaroni Grill, she and I went in search of a headdress. We scoured the shelves of Michael's Craft Store, and found the perfect accessories:  peacock feathers and a turquoise feathered hair clip. The piéce de resistance:  a peacock pin. Sierra's outfit was complete. 

The real Mrs. Peacock from Clue only WISHES she looked this good. It would be hard to compete with my precious Ms. Peacock.

Ms. Peacock

Dress Up...It's Not Just for Little Girls

BOO!

My big boy has always loved to startle people.  To terrify them.  To shock them.  His poor wife puts up with his hiding in the closet when she gets home from work, so he can "surprise her."  To this day, his younger sister deals with anxiety and fear any time anyone threatens to chase her, even if they're teasing, even if they don't mean it.  We have Dylan to thank for that.

When the youngest made the mistake of falling asleep while the oldest was still awake, Dylan donned this mask so he could "properly" awaken his little brother.  Trying to waken Bridge is like trying to waken the dead, but Dylan accomplished it.  I think Bridger is just used to Dylan doing things like this, so he doesn't provide the most rewarding reaction for his brother.  

Last fall, when Bridger and I were visiting Dylan and Jamie, we noticed some Halloween candy in an orange plastic bucket in the kitchen cupboards. "Dyl, can I have some candy?" Bridge asked, which was pretty polite, I thought.

"Sure, but you have to earn it.  You have to dress up and go trick or treating for it."  The next thing I knew, the boys were rummaging through closets to find a suitable costume for this impromptu event.  Dylan donated cowboy boots, a plaid shirt, and a cowboy hat for this special occasion.  After the bucket was emptied of its contents, Bridger dutifully took it outside, and knocked on the door.  We waited a considerable amount of time for the door to be answered, considering the homeowner was expecting us.  

"TRICK OR TREAT!"  Bridger laughed.  In mock surprise, Dylan complimented him on his costume, and gave him some candy.  Every time Bridger wanted candy the rest of the weekend, Dylan would say, "Only if you dress up."  Love their silliness. 

That weekend, we noticed traditional fall displays in front of the grocery store.  When the kids were little, I required at least one photo session each fall in the middle of the pumpkins in front of the store.  There were always complaints and the fear of people noticing, but those pictures were some of my favorites.  So, I made a request of my now very tall boys.  "Just for old time's sake, would you let me take a picture of you in the pumpkins?"  Do you know how much they love their mother?  They did it with only a minor amount of cajoling, and they even smiled!

One of my most favorite pictures of the boys was taken a long time ago, when Bridger was small enough to be picked up and held.  I had it prominently displayed in my classroom for years.  We were at the pumpkin patch, and I was busily taking pictures.  Dylan had scooped Bridger up and tipped him back as I snapped the picture.  Every time I see that picture, I'm flooded with sweet memories of that special time of year with my very special kids.

Not so long ago, I had seen a pin on Pinterest of favorite family photos recreated.  It's hilarious to see the old picture of the little ones, alongside the modern version, with the adult children.  I played the mom card again, and asked the boys to help me recreate the moment.  And like the obedient sons they are, they obliged me.  How dull would my life be if they didn't mind hamming it up for my camera?

Now...and Then

  

Trick or Treat II (More costume ideas for groups)

Halloweens of Days Gone By in Fifth Grade

Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn

The Rubbles, the Flintstones, and my very own Pebbles

Wizard of Oz.  Make sure your Toto isn't in heat would be a little suggestion.

Three Little Pigs and "Big, Bad, and Proud"

Beverly Hillbillies.  We borrowed the hound dog.  Another suggestion:
make sure the dog is bathed if you will be indoors for any length of time.

For more Halloween costume ideas, see the link below:

http://denisejackson.blogspot.com/2013/08/trick-or-treat.html

Trick or Treat!

Only a real witch would hate Halloween.

I hated Halloween. I can say that now that I don't have to dress up for the Halloween parade at school. What a Scrooge, huh? Don't get me wrong; I'm not going to ruin any little kid's fun dressing up and going door to door for candy. I just don't like to pretend to be something I'm not. (Unless we're talking about hiding our bad habits from those we love. But I digress...)

When I was little, Mom made me the cutest bunny costume. Kind of like the bunny costume made for Ralphie in The Christmas Story. 

It was ADORABLE. The hours she must've put into that thing. It was also EMBARRASSING for me to trudge around the neighborhood dressed as a rabbit begging for candy, most of which I would try to trade to my brother for the candy I actually liked.  

Way back when, people didn't have to pass out wrapped, store-bought treats. They could make their favorite recipe of "apple-raisin disgusto cookies" or whatever, and just hand it to you from their plate to your grubby little hand. My candy bag would be a mess of crumbles in the bottom by the end of the night. Unlike MOST children who love Halloween candy, I disliked any candy that wasn't CHOCOLATE.  I had a discriminating palate, even then. Don't give me any suckers or especially any of those weird red candies covered in a strawberry-looking wrapper. YUCK.

We had a brief period of store-bought costumes with those infernal plastic masks that make your face feel like it's in a sauna, and that make you feel like you're going to suffocate. The ridiculous baggy costume with the hospital gown-style closure in the back was such a far cry from the picture displayed on the box in which it came.  

Every Halloween, we would dump our stash of goodies on the carpet, and quickly retrieve the good stuff to set aside to consume ourselves. Then we would begin the not-so-gentle bartering of the undesirable candy.  By the time I was in my early teens, I finally terminated my trick-or-treating tradition. It was just too much hassle for the measly pay-out.

Fast forward to my early twenties. I became a teacher. Nobody celebrates a holiday like a teacher, right? I didn't mind putting up some pumpkins on the bulletin boards or a little banner that says "Happy Halloween!" I have to admit I balked when I was told that the teachers participate in the Halloween parade, though. We marched not only up and down the halls of school, but up and down Main Street for all the community to see. And the WHOLE community sees; believe me. I swear, I wish we could get that kind of support for PTO events and conferences. Maybe they should combine the two events; come in your Halloween costume for a little conference before Trick or Treating. We'd get 100% participation! (Just kidding...that is a HORRIBLE idea. Let's take one crazy school event at a time.)

During my first years as a teacher, my costumes were pathetic. They weren't even costumes. I wore a seasonal t-shirt those first few years; you know, a pumpkin face on an orange shirt, or a glow-in-the-dark web on a black shirt. I coveted the t-shirt that said, "This IS my costume," but I just couldn't bring myself to stoop THAT low. When I wore my seasonal shirts, I could see the disappointed looks on the parent's faces. I had let them down; I had let their kids down.

About nine years into my career, I finally started getting into the spirit of things. I saw Halloween for what it was, a fun holiday that allows kids to dress up and live a fantasy for a few hours; a chance to pig out on candy for a night; a fun celebration that meant a parade and a party at school. I could do this. I could be a professional, and pretend to like this silly little holiday.

My first year in fifth grade I went as the Reaper. Okay, you're probably thinking the GRIM Reaper complete with black hood and a scythe. No, the other woman on our fifth grade team did that. Our local newspaper is called The Richfield Reaper. I went as THAT. I was covered from head-to-toe in Richfield Reapers. We went as THE REAPERS; get it?  I admit; no one made the connection, so it still counted as a pathetic attempt at a costume. I promise, I got better. I even have proof here to show you.

In case you're stumped for some good ideas (or at least a decent, mediocre idea) for a Halloween costume, you can check out these pics of our awesome fifth grade team, and a pic or two of our awesome fourth grade team. Our grade level teams actually coordinated with each other, and used our creativity together to come up with some pretty fun costumes. People in the community actually told me they were anticipating what our costumes would be as Halloween approached. That's some pressure right there! We aim to please at our school.

Halloween isn't about teachers and administration. It's about KIDS. And when I realized that, I felt good about stepping out of my comfort zone and having a little fun with the kids.

My last year

The Witches of Fifth Grade

Grease.  Ha!  I dress like this every day...minus the poofy hair and cuffs on my jeans.

Pirates

Characters from Louis Sachar's book Holes

Three Blind Mice and the Farmer's Wife

For more Halloween costume ideas, go HERE.