If you have ever been involved in a theatrical performance, ever been backstage an hour before showtime, ever experienced the insanity, the tension, the near-hysteria of drama kings and queens and princes and princesses scurrying around in various stages of undress, hunting for missing props, shouting for makeup, crying over wardrobe malfunctions, and semi-rehearsing their lines or getting into character…

…you might have some idea what what my home is like on Halloween.

George’s attitude toward the “festivities” mirrors my own.

The end result – like Katie’s costume – is the only reason I tolerate this annual event. 

I did theatre in high school, but I didn’t do costumes or props or makeup.  I did stage crew.  The set, for the most part, is completed by dress rehearsals, so all that madness in those last few minutes before curtain call were somebody else’s problem.  But now, they are mine.

This year, we teamed up with another family of 9.  We tried to do one cohesive theme, but the boys (my boys, not the other family’s boys) did not want to play along unless it was a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings theme.  Those movies have pretty limited female characters and even less female appeal.

So the girls decided to do The Wizard of Oz.  Katie was the Lion, Jenny was the Wicked Witch of the East (crushed by the house), Mary was the Tin Man and George was (supposedly) the Scarecrow.  Our friends were Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, and 2 munchkins.

The older boys made their own armor using The Knight Book from Warfare by Duct Tape.  My boys love these books (they own three). 

And then, Round Two, we had Mass and an All Saint’s Day party this morning.  One child was not in the mood to dress up and another child is now too old for it (not for Halloween, but for All Saint’s Day, of course).  But we had 5 saints: George, Martin, Agnes, Rose of Lima, and Camillus de Lellis (I don’t know him either).

These saint costumes are all 10 minute costumes using things we already have and safety pins.  That black scarf over Katie’s head is a skirt…the white fabric is scrap fabric.

Maybe some day we’ll do Halloween like that – 10 minute saint costumes and done.  But since they’re already making plans for next year, I doubt that will happen soon.