Big Bird's retirement (part 1)

I woke up to a very untraditional Halloween.  We were staying at my folks' house while our floors were being refinished, and I had Mini home sick.  Since we weren't going to be at our house answering the door, I hadn't even bought candy.  Finally, the kitchen renovation saved us some dough!

Mini was bummed to be sick at her grandparents' house.  The fear of sharing the germ with my parents left her no choice but to be confined to the hall bathroom.  On top of that, she was going to miss a field trip at school that she was excited about.  And of course, trick or treating was off the table for her.  As an 8th grader, that translates to 'game over'.  Trick or treating for a straight laced girl in high school is unlikely.  

In the mayhem of packing up and moving in with my folks I ordered kids to choose a Halloween costume and put it in their overnight bag.  Fortunately, our storage room is jam packed with options thanks to my years of devoted costume creations.  Curly shared with me that she was deciding between Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.  Both part of my Sesame Street collection.  I pointed out that she had already worn Big Bird as a 2nd grader, but she told me that she just loves that costume.  

Ultimately she chose Big Bird.  I tried not to be the older, tired, overwhelmed mother who is trying to survive a seemingly never-ending kitchen renovation.  Without a mask to hide behind though, it was tough.  

As I was clearing the first floor of furniture and everything that typically rests on the floor (ugh!), I took a few minutes and hauled this big ass costume out of the storage room.  I handed it off to Coach, who was bringing a shipment of crap over to my folks' house.  Remember Coach's reaction to moving out of the house for three days was just shy of divorce-paper-signing.  Handing him a bulky, feathered, yellow costume in several awkward pieces went over like news that he had just been awarded a mandatory guest spot complete with singing the alphabet on the next taping of the Sesame Street show.

I do feel guilty about my lack of enthusiasm surrounding Curly's costume choice because back in the day I was the Halloween costume mom.  I made multiple visits to the fabric store, and was comfortable with fuzzy fur fabric strewn everywhere.  The kids would rush in from school to the hum of my sewing machine.  They would peer into the dining room aka costume central, and jump up and down with excitement when they saw the progress I had made.  Of course, I was always the wilted looking mom on Halloween after pulling an all-nighter to get the costumes done.  Thanks to birth order, Curly's memory of the hype and my willingness to build something amazing has probably faded.  Sigh.

  

Exhibit A:  our living room in October 2013.  Jim Henson workshop wannabe!

At one point I did utter the words, 'I hope this costume still fits you.'  In our haste to pack up, I never went to the trouble of having her try it on.  My fear was that the leg portion of the get-up would not work.  The bird legs were sewn to the bottom of old Buzz Lightyear pajama bottoms.  Yes, I cut corners.  Sue me.  The costume legs don't go all the way up to the crotch.  I worried a bit that Curly's Big Bird would reveal the Buzz pajamas between the feathered bottom portion and the above-the-knee portion, because this girl is crazy tall.  

Have I mentioned that Mini puked 10 times at my folks house on the 30th?  I hung out in the bathroom with her for each horrible episode.  In between I sat on the floor rubbing her back and at times even playing Boggle.  I felt awful that she was trapped in that bathroom.  I mean it is a huge bathroom, but it is void of TV and conversation.  Anyway, thanks to so much time in the bathroom -Halloween kind of snuck up on me.

On Halloween morning I was getting ready to drive Curly to school.  Since we weren't at home, she couldn't take the bus.  Besides, hauling Big Bird on the bus would be too difficult.  Before we left, we FINALLY did a dry-run of trying the bird on.  This kid is tall and thin, but the bottom portion of the costume wouldn't go over her rear end.  She stepped out of the costume after our unsuccessful struggle, but wouldn't turn and face me.  I spun her around, and her face was streaked with tears.  Oh, shit . . . 

administration = 0, good guys = 1

As I mentioned, I was preparing to go to parent teacher conferences at the high school when the Halloween dance jumped up and said 'Boo!' right in my face.  

Reggie wanted to dress as something that would compliment his friend.  Since I wasn't home the  night before, no combo costumes were mapped out.  Great!

I was trying to eat my breakfast, but I started offering him some ideas:  Chewbacca, leprechaun, or Elmo?  No, no, and NO!  These costumes all reside in the basement storage room.  He explained that no masks were allowed, so that would eliminate Chewey right off the bat.  I made that costume (with no pattern -as many of my more creative costumes were made) for Eddie when he was in kindergarten.  The only part of the costume that would work for Reg was the mask.  No mask, no deal.

Anyone could pull off this cookie -
 Reggie wansn't feeling that 'sweet.'

Back when Mini was Cookie Monster, I made a soft sandwich board looking cookie.  Curly dressed as the cookie.  She was about 3 years old.  That costume can easily be worn by a full size being.  Reg was playing a cool customer.  He barely blinked.  Just stared straight threw me like I was practicing being invisible for Halloween.  12 year old boys often make a tough crowd in these parts, how about in your world?  Are they all full of  'Great idea Mom, you rock!' sentiments?  Or stone face, trade-my-mom-for-an-upgrade pouty pusses?

Anyway, I had to jump in the shower, so I left him pondering the choices I had made.  I don't know about you, but taking a shower often brings me clarity and great ideas to boot.  Today was no exception.  

I hopped out of the shower and ran into Mini's room to drag her always-tired butt out of bed.  'Hey, I need you to get me the Tank's cap and gown.'  Of course.  I forgot, she had mentioned her plan to wear a cap and gown to the dance.  She was going for an easy, quick change after school.  

Is it just my kids, or do your kids NOT get their shit together the night before either?  Wow, I'm full of questions today.  Again, mother wasn't home when they went to bed, so here we were . . . scrambling.  

My mom-radar was sharp this morning.  I felt the cap and gown's presence in the laundry room.  I started moving stuff around and opening cabinets and there it was.  Hooray for me!  As I headed back downstairs to deal with Mr. What-Should-I-Be, I tossed the cap and gown (that Tank never actually wore) to Mini.  Well, I tossed it in the general direction of where her bed should be.  The girls' room is in such disarray they could've moved furniture and I wouldn't be any wiser.  

Just before I left the sty, I pivoted.  'Hey, Mini!  Grab the boxing gloves and put a sign on your back that says Tank Shenanigan.'  Mini actually bounded out of bed.  She loved the idea!  (you have to click the link to find out why Tank never wore the cap and gown).

Impersonating a brother like Tank rocks!  Update:  Mini came home from school and said a teacher eventually told her to take off her costume.  He sited props.  So no masks, no weapons, and not no props?  Odd because every other student was allowed to wear props.  Pretty sure the administration just didn't like it.  I didn't expect them to.  

'Hey, Reggie, I had a great idea in the shower.  Why don't you dress as a caddy?  Your buddy could be a golfer.'  Reg agreed.

At this point, I should've been wearing a super-woman costume.  With my conference schedule looming, I raced around and collected a caddy towel, a caddy hat, a caddy shirt, and a pinny.  I swiped a sweater vest, Irish cap, golf glove and khaki pants out of Reggie's closet and stuffed those in a bag as well just in case his buddy wanted to join him.  Mini emptied out a small golf bag for him.  We assumed a golf club would be considered a weapon.  No weapons, no masks - kids today have it kind of bad at times.  

I think my most accomplished feat was locating BOTH boxing gloves from the basement.  You understand - we are living out of boxes, surrounded by dust, and nothing is where it belongs.  

Reg was a bit annoyed that his costume wasn't 'funny,' since Mini's was going to get some laughs.  I encouraged him to grab Eddie's old full-size cast out of his mudroom locker.  'You could be a one-armed caddy and we could put a sign on your back that says Eddie Shenanigan.'  He liked the idea until fumbling around with an over-sized cast that had been sawed in half.  He ditched the Eddie impersonation and went with the straight up caddy.

Tank, who had no school because of conferences, woke up.  In true Tank fashion, he asked Mini to thank him for the costume inspiration.  

(Perhaps you can read this post a few more times out of consideration for the fact that I accidentally DELETED it AND the one prior and had to start over.  Ouch.  The original post was too long - my specialty.  So I decided to split it in half.  I screwed up - I think we can safely blame the ear piercing sound from the floor installers.  Nothing like watching your work disappear and breaking out in a sweat even though the flooring people have the heat turned down to 65. Good thing I have nothing to do, like, um- I don't know, pack up the first floor and all the food we need to take to my folk's house on Monday when we have to leave our house for 3 days.  Good times).