That Special Time Of Year

Well it's that special time of year again....my house is littered with all sorts of costume paraphenelia. I won't give away what all their costumes are, but let me just give you a list of all the tools I've used to create this year's Halloween Creations:

Sewing Machine (obviously)
Power Drill
Jig Saw
Spray Paint (several cans)
Glue Gun
Iron
Printer
Screwdriver
And last, but not least, hours and hours of time.

Don't misunderstand me...I'm not complaining. I LOVE the process of watching the kids decide what to be and then figuring out how we'll make it happen. Some efforts are more successful than others, but I think this year everyone will be pretty happy. (not like last year when Joe's mummy costume literally fell apart as he trick or treated). I still vividly remember a halloween when my mom made my brother Darin a REALLY cool Ghostbuster costume. It was an awesome grey jumpsuit that zipped up the front and had a badge and everything. She must have worked really hard on that creation. And, I still remember Darin coming home from a party at Reed Barker's house (not sure why I remember that name), so upset because no one knew what he was. I guess he was a boy ahead of his time. So, I think about that when making costumes....how will it translate to the general public? I mean, not everyone knows that John is obsessed with garbage trucks and garbage cans and might not understand why he's dressed as a trash can. But that one I couldn't resist...he makes a darn cute trash can...even if no one knows what he is!

In other news...I'm finally getting some relief from my joint pain. Ever since Jack was born, I've had pretty bad pain in all my joints: wrists, hands, elbows, knees, even the tops of my feet. I started some medication for Rheumetoid Arthritis about a month ago, and it's finally started to work. I'm still not admitting that I have RA (although my response to the medicine seems a bit telling), but I am feeling very grateful that I can once again sew without pain, or mix up a batch of cookies, or even pick up my baby without wincing. Pain is an amazing thing...and this last year has given me so much empathy for those who suffer from chronic pain. It can truly be debilitating.

Well...our Trunk or Treat is tomorrow (or Trick or Trunk as our friend Briggs called it...much to the delight of all the children in my car at the time), so if all goes well, we'll have six happy children and one happy mother - because of course, I get first dibs on all their candy.

Happy Treating!