Treybot 0300

It's Halloween time! If you know me, you l know I LUVS me some Halloween. First, I get all excited and buy candy the first week of October so I can be, you know, prepared. Then, oops, somehow it gets accidentally opened and devoured. Multiply this sequence of events by about 4 or 5 before the actual big night which then finds me running to WinCo to buy waaay too much of whatever candy is left because I DO NOT want to be that house that runs out of candy. No sirree- the only thing worse, is being the house that is handing out toothbrushes. What is up with those people? Spending the day after Halloween unwrapping TP off of their trees and bushes- that's what!

My parents were just not into Halloween. If we got a pumpkin, it was out of a bin in front of the grocery store the day before Halloween and let's just say, I dressed up like a hobo a lot. While my friends all had rockin costumes that their mothers had lovingly made, or purchased, I would end up grabbing one of my dad's flannel shirts and making "whiskers" on my face with mascara. Oh well, there are worse things in life, but don't let that resignation fool you into thinking that despite that, I don't ridiculously overcompensate with my own kids!

We go to a REAL pumpkin patch every year. And not those lame, pretend pumpkin patches that just truck pumpkins in and scatter them all over the ground with some straw... that's an abomination! I want to see the vine from which my gourd hath grown!

No last minute hobo costumes for my kids either. Because I LOVE my kids, you will find me up until 2am the night before Halloween (or the school party, whichever comes first) hot gluing, stitching, ironing and generally obsessing like a deranged person over the most sure to go unnoticed details of their costumes. Last year, Trey wanted to be a robot. You should have seen my unrestrained, sheer glee and merriment over this choice. I have ALWAYS wanted to make a robot costume. Remember those kids at school with the dryer vent arms and legs! Oh what rapture filled my bosom (that's for you steenky bee! )as I scoured the hardware store, goodwill and the used appliance parts store for supplies. I have made Dorothy, witch & Cinderella dresses, cow, bat and dalmation costumes and purchased with much excitement, all manner of costumes sparkly and plush, but THIS, this was to be my masterpiece (mwahahaha)!

So, in case you are wondering, yes, the robot costume ROCKED. His helmet had a light on top that really flashed. He had knobs that spun, dryer vent arms and legs, metallic spray painted shoes and a metal sign on the back that read, "EXIT ONLY", 'cuz I'm a spaz like that, AND he was the envy of 3rd grade boys far and near. Yes, the look of adoration and hugs of sincere gratitude from a very happy "Treybot 0300" made it all worth it.

The problem is, now, he seems to truly believe that I am the master of all costuming and is completely confident in my ability to create his alter ego for this year... An Ipod. Of course, I can't just phone it in now and slap some poster paint on a box- oh no. He's googled Ipod costumes and the one he wants his to look like was made by some kind of engineering/construction/tailoring genius.

Crap. Guess I'll be up until 3am this year. (You know I love it!)