Behind the scene(s) on Halloween

Many years from now when I look back through our photo books, I’ll see pictures from various holidays and occasions and be reminded what we wore, how everyone looked at particular ages and stages, and where we were on certain days. What I won’t see in those pictures is all that was going on behind the scenes.

Halloween is one of those occasions where there’s always at least a little drama behind the pictures. The combination of excitement, high blood sugar levels, and costuming issues tends to bring out the best and the worst in our crew. And this business of a family theme is not always smooth sailing. I was ready to throw in the towel on the family theme this season, but the 5th Grader wanted to make it happen again. Since she’ll likely be too cool for us when she gets in middle school next year, I obliged. But, I think this will be the last time we do this for a long while!

We’ve learned it works much better to take a few pictures a day or two ahead of time so the actual holiday can be more low-key. This year I thought it would be fun to go to a drive-in since our costumes were set in the ’50’s. So, my mom came over and we loaded into the van and headed to one that was closed on Sundays and somewhat off the beaten path.

While we are all smiles in the picture and ready to serve you at the local “hop,” here’s what you don’t see:

1. The temperature on Sunday afternoon was 41 degrees. Most unfortunately, our costumes were thin and drafty. Hence, the clenched teeth.
2. The 3rd Grader was mortified that people might see us dressed up like fools two days before Halloween. She’s our rule follower and the fact that we were borrowing a real business as a backdrop had her worried. She needed to know that we had official permission to be there. We reassured her it was fine and nobody would ever know {or care} that we were taking a picture in front of the building. That seemed to appease her until two separate cars, seeing the commotion of our crew getting out of the car, pulled up to see if the Donut Palace was open for business. At that point, the 3rd Grader hid behind a seat and refused to get out of the van.
3. The 3rd Grader was also complaining about how tight her costume felt. Since it’s not uncommon for her to have a complaint, we all ignored her banter. A few hours after this little photo shoot, I realized she had mistakenly put on the Kindergartener’s dress and apron. So, it turns out her complaints were valid. Hers was uncomfortably tight and the Kindergartener’s fit like a potato sack.
4. Standing up on roller skates is much harder than I remembered, especially when those skates are two sizes too small because you’re wearing kids’ skates. I have no business trying to move from one place to another on plastic wheels. It was hard enough to get from the car to the building without some sort of serious injury. Imagine how embarrassed the 3rd Grader would have been if we had needed to go to the nearest Emergency Room and explain the ridiculous cause of injury all the while wearing these costumes? She would have come undone.
5. The Kindergartener was distraught that she could not also wear skates. I assured her they weren’t near as fun as I was making them look. In her world the more dangerous an activity the more fun it might be, so that was a losing argument.
6. All the trays and food props were dollar store finds. The ice cream was play-doh and the root beer and Coke cans were empty. Yet, there was fighting and a few tears over who got to hold which tray of FAKE food… as if it mattered??

In the end, we took about five pictures, loaded back up in the van, and rewarded everyone on the way home with real food {donuts!} from a place that was actually open for business.

Fortunately, Halloween night itself was sunny, 25 degrees warmer, and somewhat less dramatic. At least everyone had on the correct size costume that evening. And, to avoid argument and potentially life-threatening injury, no one wore skates!