A week of Halloween, Day 1

"When do I get my own blog?"

The kids have heard me talking to Rob in the last couple of weeks about the blog.  Last week I explained to them what a blog was and why I was writing this one.  Now they think that the line of the day has to be funny, and they think it can be a joke.  Almost every day Riley has come up to me with a new joke and says "Mom, here's one for your blog."  Then proceeds to tell me the usual kid jokes (not her boyfriend's) except in true Riley fashion she says "get it?" and then explains every detail of the joke to you, just in case.

While working on the laptop yesterday, Chloe came up to me and said "When can I get my own blog?"  I just laughed and shook my head.  But then I thought that maybe she might have something on her mind she'd like to say.  While getting ready for dance class today in her Halloween inspired tutu and tights I asked her if she had a blog what she would write about.  Her response?  "About how I don't want to wear this costume, that's what."  

What?!  My sweet little punk ballerina doesn't want to wear a costume?!  What parallel universe did I wake up in?  This child lives in costume.  Eats, sleeps, breathes in costume.  She's the quiet imaginary universe child of the family.  I used to make costumes for a living!  Oh, my heart!  It gets worse.  I asked who she wanted to dress up as for the "favorite story-book character" party at school on Friday.  This time "I don't want to dress up.  I want to go as me.  I'll wear a Halloween shirt or something."  (Our school system is no longer allowed to have an official "Halloween Party" so they do a book character or career costume day instead.)

As I sat watching her at dance class, it was all I could think about.  My soul about to crumble, I asked her to tell me what was bothering her, why she didn't want to wear a costume.  "Because these costumes are itchy.  You didn't make them, and they're itchy."  Awwww!  It turned out to be such a simple thing and not some weird paradigm shift after all.  I didn't have time this fall to make the kids' costumes because of the busy schedule getting through this last semester at school.  First time since 1994.  And while I feel a little bad about it, at least now I know they're appreciated. 

More Halloween to come...