Well I tried to get out of Halloween again this year, but it didn’t work.  Awana’s had a trunk or treak, Girls Scouts went to a Fall Festival, and dear husband agreed to take the kids trick or treating. So, I had to pull my head out of the sand.

But my sewing machine is broken, so this year I was not going to be able to sew any costumes, and I surely wasn’t buying any costumes. So I told the kids they had to make due with what we had. And once again, they surprise me.

Here’s a glimpse of what they came up with:

Z recycled a Ninja costume that he wore last year and J wore three years ago. All he needed was some minor seam repairs, which K handled beautifully. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of him this year, not sure how that happened. Maybe my head was in the sand…

Anyway, Little E also recycled a costume, the one I made for her last year.  This actually was a pattern and fabric that K picked out ten years ago, and it had sat in my “to do” sewing pile forever. Last year K and I made it up for Little E, intentionally making it big so it could last a few years. And it ended up being what Little E wore again. Doesn’t she make a sweet Cinderella?

But it was J and K who surprised me most.  I took video of this, but forgot and had it on the side, so it didn’t turn out as I wanted.  To get the full picture of this, understand that J is very expressive and animated, what he is feeling through any emotion comes across clearly. But he has this wonderful infectious laugh, and can do these crazy expressions that just make you laugh. So he used that to his advantage, and was a “nut job”, acting out an over the top wicked laugh.

But it was K who took the cake for acting out a costume. She bought her self this ball and chain, did up her make up, and acted out this whole scene dragging the ball and chain around. If you asked her what she was, she said “I’m a shackled teenager. I’ve been chained up in my room for the last 8 years and haven’t seen the light of day.”  It was hysterical, and so proves that she is indeed an actress, even if she denies it.  Again, I messed up the video, so I’m afraid we’ll have to suffice with this picture.

Now that Halloween is over and we are well endowed with sugar (thank goodness it freezes!), it’s time to start concentrating on our holiday plans: Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a Fall Road Trip, and of course Thanksgiving and Christmas await!

(oh, and work and school… but the other stuff is more fun!)

Happy November Everyone!

Halloween presents an interesting dilemma for us as a Christian family. Here in the U.S., as soon as the school supply sales are over, the stores pull out the Halloween paraphernalia – decorations, costumes, pumpkins, and of course, candy. It’s impossible to simply ignore it. We’ve tried, didn’t work.

When our oldest was small, we made the decision to ignore Halloween. And that worked for a while, but when our daughter was three she took matters into her own hands – digging into her dress up box and pulling pieces to together, so she could have a costume like all the other kids. After all, dressing up and imaginative play was something we encouraged; and she wanted to join in. 

So we re-evaluated. How do we honor what the bible says about avoiding witchcraft and the occult and still allow our children to find their place in this classic American cultural event? While Halloween has it’s roots as a Celtic festival, we Americans have over time adopted it as our own and woven it into our culture.

As a family, we’ve chosen to emphasize the more wholesome parts of Halloween, forbid the gruesome and occult references, and use the time to build our ties as a family and with friends. And use the time to discuss our beliefs in the context of the culture. 

Now that it is October, my world is full of kids thinking of Halloween and how they can participate in the holiday without violating the rules. For my daughters it means designing and sewing costumes. For my sons, it’s a time to balance what they are attracted to (the scary) with what we allow.

And for my husband and I, it’s a time to discuss with the kids more about what Halloween is about and help the kids come to their own conclusions and beliefs. For we believe, its important for the kids to “own” their beliefs, to come to their own conclusions, based on not just what we believe but also their own research and their own convictions.

Over the next few weeks, I may share more about how we, as a Christian family, are preparing for and studying Halloween this year. Please feel free to share in the comments your own ideas on how you’ve dealt with the Halloween dilemma in your own family.

…Shannon

Other Halloween-related Articles

• Homemade Halloween Costumes – A Learning Experience
• Fun, Kid-Friendly Recipes for Halloween or Fall (Review)
• Learning to Write A Scary Story with CTT Halloween (Review)
• Gifts Kids Can Make: Candy Wreath from Halloween Candy