GAYS MILLS - Everyone and everything seems to be abuzz with the Halloween spirit.
Last week when I got out of my car and walked to the coffee shop on Boscobel’s main drag downtown, I noticed that the street had taken on a bit of a spooky appearance. The beautification committee for the town made it their mission to decorate the street over the weekend and did quite the job. Tiny glittery spiders, fancy decorated skulls, even a witches head attached to a fire hydrant. The mood has been set for certain.
Thatcher undertook his first trick or treat operation of the season as well. Since his ol’ dah dah will be working on All Hallows Eve, we ventured to La Crosse for a pregame event.
The WisCorps kids at Myrick Park in La Crosse put on the Enchanted Forest and Chasca had won tickets at work to go. It is considered a ‘safe’ trick or treating event, which I suppose means ‘controlled.’ The little princesses and super heroes parade the paved path around the swamp at the park meeting up with WisCorps volunteers to collect their goods.
This year, in an effort to be more inclusive for kids with food allergies, they cut FAR back on the candy, offering stickers, temporary tattoos and toothbrushes as well. Rest assured however, there was still plenty o’ sugary treats to be had.
Thatcher went last year with Aunt Barb and his cousins, when he was just learning to walk. He didn’t quite understand what was going on. Until he figured out the giant costumed characters were depositing nummy goodness in his little bucket.
This year, he was pretty pumped to go out trick or treating. His grandpa Markie picked up a traditional orange candy bucket for him and he was ready to go.
The question of the costume was long agonized over however. I had picked up a couple of costumes from the Village Greenhouses junk sale, pre-flood and was given an additional one somewhere along the line. So we were equipped with a chicken costume, a tiger costume, and a ‘Thomas the Train’ get up.
When questioned over which of three he’d like to don, he would respond in a rather contrary manner.
“I want to be a chicken NUGGET mama!”
“I want to be an elephant mama! PAWOO!” (Apparently, to Thatcher, elephants always say Pawoo!)
“I want to be Percy Mama, NOT Thomas!”
Luckily however, when it came down to the big moment, he was completely accepting of wearing his chicken costume. Which I must report was a huge success considering the blustery cold weather.
On the adorable scale, it was way up there. He makes a great chicken. However, we were hard pressed to beat the very first year’s costume. I wasn’t really into buying anything for him, considering, he had no idea what was going on at six months old. I did however want to make it comical and memorable. But, alas, I slacked. I didn’t have time to put together anything too absurd. Everything came together though with the help of a fake mustache and a bandana.
Thatcher and Chasca successfully went as the most adorable set of twins you’ve ever seen. It may be the fact a baby in a fake mustache is just too much, but it was really delightful. Wearing matching AC/DC shirts and jeans, bandanas and mustaches, they were the belles of the ball at the local Halloween party.
I was recently trying to remember some of my own greatest hits for Halloween costumes. The ones that are most memorable to me are ones that my mom actually put together rather than bought.
When I was in kindergarten we went to a wild west themed Halloween party, where I INSISTED upon being a cowboy, not a cowgirl–a cowboy with a mustache. There is exactly one photo of me on this night, sitting on a hay bale in front of an old west backdrop–looking extremely pleased in my denim and boots, lovely hand drawn ‘stache and all.
Another year, I went as a clown. I think that was the year my brother went as a hobo, complete with the classic coffee grounds mixed with Vaseline beard.
Again, I remember my mom getting me ready, assembling two different funny character slippers and doing my elaborate makeup. She even obliged her strange daughter’s request to be a sad clown, drawing my face in a dramatic droopy frown with huge teardrops. In the photos, Patrick looks far more pleased to be a hobo, grinning widely with his ratty gloves and weird beard.
This year, I had grand plans to dress as a half of an avocado. I thought it would be hilarious to have my belly be the pit and wear this green cardboard suit.
This was however months ago, when I was feeling ambitious and creative. I should have taken that moment to put together a costume and be ready, because for now, I feel I will barely have the energy to trick or treat.
Although, I did see just today on social media one of the hottest costumes of the year is the ‘hot mess mom’–maybe I’ll just go as that and pretend that its not everyday as of lately.
