It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

"Is it almost Christmas?"  Jack asks me this morning during breakfast.  I pause from my grapefruit to look at him.  His hair is still sticking up wildly--the effect of last night's Halloween hairspray.  I'm pretty sure I see remnants of chocolate smudges on his cheek. 

"Christmas?  No.  Christmas is...let's see..." I do a quick mental calculation.  "Christmas is 55 days away." 

"That's coming up," he nods, seriously.  "I'd better get started on my list."

Jack Frost

Halloween was yesterday.  Can't we talk about Halloween?  Let's talk about Jack's costume: Jack Frost.  Last year he was Jack in the Box.  The year before that he was Blackjack after creating a sandwich board with the Ace of Spades behind him and the Jack of Diamonds on the front.   He's already brainstorming theme ideas for next year.  Will he be a Cracker Jack or a Jack Hammer? Only time will tell. 

Let's talk about Katherine's costume: Little Red Riding Hood.  This year I decided to sew her cape--my first garment!  Yes, I got overconfident after hemming one pair of shorts.   I was remembering my own Halloween costumes, among them a witch, a princess and a bride.  Every year mom sewed my Halloween creation.  No store-bought overpriced plastic for me.  I had high-quality, unique outfits year after year.  It made me feel special and loved. 

Mom also had a lot more experience sewing than I do.  I'm proud to say I finished the cape and learned a lot from my mistakes along the way.  I learned to check the price of the pattern before I buy it.  Before I learned this I spent more on the pattern than I did on the actual fabric.  Oops.  I learned that it is worthwhile to vacuum up all the dog hair from the sun room floor before I lay out all my fabric for cutting.  I learned that lining is very slippery and should always ironed on a low setting or it will pucker.   I learned that sometimes, when the directions don't make sense, it's OK to just wing it.  And I learned that the best part is finishing.

Little Red Riding Hood

Katherine loves her cape.  She is so impressed with me and I'm glad when I overhear her tell people, "My mom made my costume!"  She really appreciates the time and effort I put into the project.  "Thank you for making this the Best Halloween ever!" she told me.  It makes her feel special and loved.  Because she is.

Yes, Christmas is just around the corner but I'm not quite ready to turn that corner.  I'm going to keep my Jack O' Lantern on the porch for another day or two.    Happy Halloween!