Halloween has always been my children's favorite Holiday. I love Halloween too but Christmas is my favorite.
The year was 1976, and this year became the most memorable Halloween we ever had. Diana's birthday is Nov 2nd, so many times we celebrated her birthday with a Halloween party. This was her 12th birthday and we did have a Hallwoeen Birthday Party that year. The party was a smash but this post is not about that party. It is about the Mummy Costume I tried to make that year for David.
Diana wanted to be Raggedy Ann. That was easy, I got the pattern and went to work. She was a great Raggedy Ann. Daryl was four years old and I made him a clown costume. He too was adorable. David was seven years old and he wanted to be a mummy. I told him that I did not think I could make a muumy costume and tried to convince him to be superman or something else that I was certain that I could make. He insisted on being a mummy. So I tried.
I took strips of sheeting and wrapped it around him. I pinned it and glued it and pasted it. I made flour paste and put green food coloring in it and plastered it on his face. It seemed like it might work. I told David to be careful and walk slowly and not move around too much, and that the costume might hold up.
We were living in a very small community in the desert at the time, and there was a small parade for the kids to walk through a few blocks of the town. One of my friends took her kids and mine to the parade. I stayed home to work on Diana's birthday party that was going to take place that night.
When the kids came home, Diana came in with a Trophy. She won 1st place. She didn't sem very happy even though she had won. I asked her what was wrong. She said she was happy about winning but David's costume fell apart. She said they were walking in the parade and his custume began falling off, and as he walked, more and more came undone. Just as she said this, David came running through the door in tears, yelling at me, wearing only his underwear. I have to say that at this point I was not the 'good mom' becuse it was hilarious and I laughed. Poor David, his heart was broken and I was the evil mom who bothced his custume and then laughed. I composed myself and tried to talk to him. It was no good. He was so hurt, embarrssed and angry. And the worst of it was Diana won first place (and I laughed).
Diana's birthday party was great and David did have some fun.
We never talked about that Halloween for years to come.
Years later when the kids were teenagers Diana and Daryl were talking to David about that Halloween. David seemed to still be upset over it and I have to say that sometimes me and all my kids including David can be relentless when we think something is funny or think there is something one of us sould get a grip on and get over. This was one of those things. We had a good laugh and David said that we were all 'wrong' but he also looked like he had a smile in there somewhere trying to get out.
Halloween was still special for my kids and after I left my husband our Holidays were quite meager for several years. But once I got my job with Los Angeles County, life improved dramatically, and on Halloween I would get those plastic pumpkins and fill each one with each of my kids favortie candy bars. One year I put in little trinkets too. I got Diana a little witch, and Daryl got a little skeleton, and I found a little mummy figure for David. When I gave them their pumpkins, David protested, again saying that I was just 'wrong'. I said ' get over it, you are 17 and it was funny, and I tried to get you to be superman, I told you I didn't think I could make that costume work'. Diana and Daryl were just about rolling on the floor from laughing. I did tell you that we can be relentless, and that includes David too, not just me and Diana and Daryl. This is our family.
So each year I added a witch for Diana, a sleketon for Daryl and mummy for David; and when I could find them a mummy card for David too.
Even when they were adults and living on their own I would give them these little trinkets. I have stopped giving Diana witches and stopped giving Daryl skeletons but to this day I still give David a mummy or two or three each year. He has a housefull of mummies.
One year I invited my kids to my house for Halloween dinner and to take my granddaughter trick or treating in my neighborhood. They came and we had a fun time. That year David was living at home with me and I found a card that was a muumy and that card unfoled about 6 times, and with each turn of the page the mummy unwrapped until it was just one string; so funny !!! David opened the card and jumped up and said 'this is just wrong' and of course we all laughed.
the next day I went into David's room and he had taped up that card on his wall. I knew then that he was now beginning to heal from that aweful pain he felt that day.
The next year I found a card of a mummy sitting on a sofa holding a cat. The mummy was in tatters, it was hilarious! So of course I got it for David.
One year I didn't give David anything Mummy. Because he had protested so much each year, I thought I would give up. But his feelings were hurt and he asked where was his mummy? I told him that I thought he really didn't want them and that is why I didn't give him one. He told me that at first he didn't like it but he has come to expect them and he missed getting one.
David is now a teacher. He has been teaching for about 15 years. And every year he decorates his classroom with his mummy collection. His students ask him why he has so many mummies so he tells them the story. He has told me that the kids laugh so hard they fall out of their chairs onto the floor. Then he has them write the story and draw pictures of how his custume fell apart in that parade. He has shown me the stories and pictures. The first time he showed them to me I almost cried. I know he is ok with it now. I know he sees the humor in that horrible experience he endured. And I know that he knows in his soul that I love him and I tried, and that I am not perfect even though our children need us to be perfect.
We all have times when life falls apart and leaves us in tatters. What matters is being able to put it behind us and make something good out of it if we can, and if we are really lucky and blessed, we can get a good laugh at the same time.
TTFN, Debbie
The year was 1976, and this year became the most memorable Halloween we ever had. Diana's birthday is Nov 2nd, so many times we celebrated her birthday with a Halloween party. This was her 12th birthday and we did have a Hallwoeen Birthday Party that year. The party was a smash but this post is not about that party. It is about the Mummy Costume I tried to make that year for David.
Diana wanted to be Raggedy Ann. That was easy, I got the pattern and went to work. She was a great Raggedy Ann. Daryl was four years old and I made him a clown costume. He too was adorable. David was seven years old and he wanted to be a mummy. I told him that I did not think I could make a muumy costume and tried to convince him to be superman or something else that I was certain that I could make. He insisted on being a mummy. So I tried.
I took strips of sheeting and wrapped it around him. I pinned it and glued it and pasted it. I made flour paste and put green food coloring in it and plastered it on his face. It seemed like it might work. I told David to be careful and walk slowly and not move around too much, and that the costume might hold up.
We were living in a very small community in the desert at the time, and there was a small parade for the kids to walk through a few blocks of the town. One of my friends took her kids and mine to the parade. I stayed home to work on Diana's birthday party that was going to take place that night.
When the kids came home, Diana came in with a Trophy. She won 1st place. She didn't sem very happy even though she had won. I asked her what was wrong. She said she was happy about winning but David's costume fell apart. She said they were walking in the parade and his custume began falling off, and as he walked, more and more came undone. Just as she said this, David came running through the door in tears, yelling at me, wearing only his underwear. I have to say that at this point I was not the 'good mom' becuse it was hilarious and I laughed. Poor David, his heart was broken and I was the evil mom who bothced his custume and then laughed. I composed myself and tried to talk to him. It was no good. He was so hurt, embarrssed and angry. And the worst of it was Diana won first place (and I laughed).
Diana's birthday party was great and David did have some fun.
We never talked about that Halloween for years to come.
Years later when the kids were teenagers Diana and Daryl were talking to David about that Halloween. David seemed to still be upset over it and I have to say that sometimes me and all my kids including David can be relentless when we think something is funny or think there is something one of us sould get a grip on and get over. This was one of those things. We had a good laugh and David said that we were all 'wrong' but he also looked like he had a smile in there somewhere trying to get out.
Halloween was still special for my kids and after I left my husband our Holidays were quite meager for several years. But once I got my job with Los Angeles County, life improved dramatically, and on Halloween I would get those plastic pumpkins and fill each one with each of my kids favortie candy bars. One year I put in little trinkets too. I got Diana a little witch, and Daryl got a little skeleton, and I found a little mummy figure for David. When I gave them their pumpkins, David protested, again saying that I was just 'wrong'. I said ' get over it, you are 17 and it was funny, and I tried to get you to be superman, I told you I didn't think I could make that costume work'. Diana and Daryl were just about rolling on the floor from laughing. I did tell you that we can be relentless, and that includes David too, not just me and Diana and Daryl. This is our family.
So each year I added a witch for Diana, a sleketon for Daryl and mummy for David; and when I could find them a mummy card for David too.
Even when they were adults and living on their own I would give them these little trinkets. I have stopped giving Diana witches and stopped giving Daryl skeletons but to this day I still give David a mummy or two or three each year. He has a housefull of mummies.
One year I invited my kids to my house for Halloween dinner and to take my granddaughter trick or treating in my neighborhood. They came and we had a fun time. That year David was living at home with me and I found a card that was a muumy and that card unfoled about 6 times, and with each turn of the page the mummy unwrapped until it was just one string; so funny !!! David opened the card and jumped up and said 'this is just wrong' and of course we all laughed.
the next day I went into David's room and he had taped up that card on his wall. I knew then that he was now beginning to heal from that aweful pain he felt that day.
The next year I found a card of a mummy sitting on a sofa holding a cat. The mummy was in tatters, it was hilarious! So of course I got it for David.
One year I didn't give David anything Mummy. Because he had protested so much each year, I thought I would give up. But his feelings were hurt and he asked where was his mummy? I told him that I thought he really didn't want them and that is why I didn't give him one. He told me that at first he didn't like it but he has come to expect them and he missed getting one.
David is now a teacher. He has been teaching for about 15 years. And every year he decorates his classroom with his mummy collection. His students ask him why he has so many mummies so he tells them the story. He has told me that the kids laugh so hard they fall out of their chairs onto the floor. Then he has them write the story and draw pictures of how his custume fell apart in that parade. He has shown me the stories and pictures. The first time he showed them to me I almost cried. I know he is ok with it now. I know he sees the humor in that horrible experience he endured. And I know that he knows in his soul that I love him and I tried, and that I am not perfect even though our children need us to be perfect.
We all have times when life falls apart and leaves us in tatters. What matters is being able to put it behind us and make something good out of it if we can, and if we are really lucky and blessed, we can get a good laugh at the same time.
TTFN, Debbie
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