My kids
love Halloween--so do I. I'm not sure where they get their need and desire to decorate for every Tom, Dick and Harry holiday and celebration but in some ways it's kind of cool. I grew up in a home where we didn't really decorate for the holidays. In fact, Christmas was really the only holiday we did up and my mom (the Shinto Buddhist) was more excited than my dad (of the very German & Lutheran upbringing). I like decorations and simultaneously dislike them. We have a friend who spends weeks setting up for Christmas and that sounds like a nightmare to me. She actually has a special storage space rented for just Christmas stuff. It gives me pause thinking about her dedication as well as lunacy. Going to her house between Thanksgiving and New Year is like visiting a Hallmark special.
I have a few things I've collected--but not much, because I'm essentially lazy. (I'm not talking Christmas--that holiday is different because Chief loves Christmas, as did his mom, and it's very important to him for many reasons.) Putting up decorations means taking them down and properly storing them which = lots-of-work. Not to mention keeping decorations safe from small children and animals and vice versa--safe to say everyone is older and wiser and much more responsible these days, dog(s) included. Every year the boys ask to decorate more and more and I resist. This year I actually told them we could start looking at decorations this weekend and see what's out--you
know they are out there and it's only August! I made it very clear that we are looking and there is no promise of purchases. There will definitely be no costume purchases. I have to state this very clearly because the first of many costume catalogues arrived this weekend and there's been non-stop chatter about costumes. It's like living in a hen house, except these hens are actually little boys. The heat must be getting to Little Man because he asked what would happen if it rained on Halloween, forgetting that we live where it barely ever rains, let alone on Halloween. I come from the land of rain and have spent many a chilly and wet Halloween growing up so the question perplexed me on so many levels. At any rate, Little Man has his umbrella ready, as well as his treat bag (random tote bag from his room). When I reiterated that we were
looking this weekend I actually got the "air quotes" from Little Man and they were used in the proper context! I about passed out--apparently he has been listening and applying.
I'll keep you posted on what we acquire and how the costume battle goes. We've already decided that we'll put fake cobwebs on the front gate and perhaps a large spider--Big Monkey offered to hang on the gate as a decoration, too. So helpful. Labor day weekend I'll bring out the four little harvest jack-o-lanterns I bought at Frances a few years ago. They are so darn cute that I don't totally put them away and they manage to make appearances throughout the year. In anticipation of Halloween, we spent 45 minutes reading Halloween stories after school today for our reading time. Let's see how long this enthusiasm lasts...
What holiday or celebration do you get excited for?
