aLl hAlLoWs' eVe EVE

Man, it's getting spooky around here.

I have jumped and screamed really loudly not once, but twice today.

Bring it, baby!

I thought we would do a little Halloween costume parade here at k.Mac headquarters as somewhat of a pep rally for the BIG 10.31.

1st up...

Eli Garrett in his 1st costume. He was almost 7 months old and what sweet little lion he did make. Believe it or not, this costume is store bought. It is a Tom Arma. These were the years prior to me teaching myself how to sew and beginning k.Mac.

2nd up....

A cowboy. I put the ensemble together and made Eli's vest that said "Sherrif Cobble". I really wanted my kids to be exactly what they wanted to be each and every year. Eli couldn't really say his 1st year, but I worked that boy to death this 2nd year to have him make his very own choice! We even practiced knocking on doors and saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at the end.

Perhaps the last costume I wore as I child made me this way.

{I have searched the world over for a visual for this only to realize that the only copy of this picture is hanging in my Mom-mommie and Dad-daddy's bedroom.}

My last year of trick-or-treating my mom MADE me be a bag of jelly beans.

5th grade

I.AM.DEAD.SERIOUS.

Not cool, I know.

A bag of jelly beans???

5th grade?

Geez.

What a way to go out, huh?

Well, I think I may have made up for it Eli's 2nd Halloween.

Yep, I think I found peace with my bag o' beans if you will.

By this time, you see, I had begun the beginnings of teaching myself to sew. And well, let's just say I got crafty.

Anybody see Casey face in this picture?!

That's right! I was 6 months pregnant with Casey on Eli's 2nd Halloween. And well, I just had to be a belly dancer. A belly dancer who actually won a Halloween costume contest at that! I like to say Casey helped nudge me into the win column.

How's that for a bag o'beans?

Closure feels good.

Onward to Eli's 3rd Halloween and Casey's 1st

{on the outside of my womb}...

Eli got to pick for the both of them. Eli's was a cinch to make. He specified that he wanted a green collar for his cow bell. Of course, wish granted. I struggled with what to do for Casey. I opted to make a headress that would do nothing short of SCREAM CHICKEN for this sweet nugget of mine. I used a soft felt for the cap and then went to town with a couple of boas and hot glue. Yep, I think my mission of chicken screaming was accomplished. I did think it was strange, however, how Eli decided with such quickness that he was going to be a cow and Casey was going to be a chicken. I mean he was only 2 1/2.

Then one morning in play time on the floor I look over and see this:

Voila. A cow and a chicken.

Observant fellow that Eli is.

Eli's 4th Halloween and Casey's 2nd Halloween...

A green train and a football.

Kenny took the train and I took the football.

We each completely winged it on patterns. Me with my sewing machine and Kenny with his carboard, we worked it out.

Eli aDoReD his costume. It actually had a wood frame on the inside complete with an adjustable safety strap.

Casey was only a 1 1/2 here. He cracked me up not wanting to put his hands outside of the football through the arm holes. Each time I would try to get him to put his arm through, he would shake his head and say "No bootball, mama! No bootball, mama!" The boy was clear in letting me know footballs don't have arms! I had to carry around his candy bucket all for the sake of real.

Which leaves us to this year...

Batman and The Tin Man.

Eli began wanting to be a lobster and then thought lobsters weren't scary enough. Then he decided he would be a bat. Yes, bats were lots scarier than lobsters.

Until...

He eyed a Toys-R-Us catalog and saw a picture of a Batman costume. He has never even seen a Batman cartoon, but came running to me to say, "Look, mom! A bat and a man. I have to be this!"

And so he will be. I have the belt and mask left to make.

And Casey's looks oh.so.fine in his mommy-made silver lamay jumpsuit awaiting the addition of his daddy's craftiness with silver spray paint and carboard. Funnel hat...we are on the look out for a silver one. I have some back up ideas should one not turn up tomorrow on our hunt.

Never fear.

Let's take the time to state here that Casey's intial request for his costume this year was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz not the Tinman.

Kenny quickly made clear to Casey that boys don't be Dorothy.

Casey is infatuated with Dorothy. Her voice, her sparkly shoes. We got ourselves a celebrity crush, there's no denying it.

The boys think Kenny would make a super vampire or dracula and I couldn't agree more. We will see if that Coach Cobble decides to play dress up with us or not.

And me?

Well, as much as I want to be a purple sequined belly dancer AGAIN this year, I can't. Belly dancers only look cute when they have pregnant bellies.

So, I am going to be a witch!

This was my all-time favorite costume to wear on Halloween. A close 2nd was a gypsy, but the black hat always did it for me!

My costume has yet to be made.

This witch better shake her broomstick and get on it or all she will have on for Halloween is that black hat!

Now THAT is scary!

.mac-a-boo :)