Halloween

Isn't G-Man's shirt awesome? I love Old Navy.

My friend Ace tagged me for a Halloween post. Before I answer questions, I would like to state for the record that I am working very hard to adjust my bad attitude about Halloween. As I have been reading the blogs of others, I have found I'm not alone in my attitude, though my reasons are vastly different.

Most people seem to dislike Halloween because it is a celebration that is closely related to Satanism. That's not my issue. Any celebration where free candy is handed out can't be all bad. No, my Halloween issues stem from a couple of things:

1. My mom, though a talented seamstress, didn't really get into Halloween costumes. We wore recycled dance costumes for many years. I never really got very excited about my costume because I didn't get to pick what I wanted to be. (Now, I understand a little better why my mom after hours of sewing a dance costume would just want to use it for Halloween as well. I only understand now because I have a difficult time finding time to sew.) Halloween in general was not a big deal at my house. My theory is that it had something to do with reason #2...

2. My family lived in a mortuary.

Yup. Truly. Until I was 17 years old. My dad is a funeral director and we lived in an apartment and then a house that was attached to the funeral home where he worked.

You can't put up Halloween decorations at a funeral home. It really is in poor taste. (I didn't understand it as a child, but I knew it wasn't allowed.) Our house was not in a neighborhood near other kids, so trick or treating was always anticlimactic and involved driving to other people's neighborhoods. And buying candy to hand out wasn't even that exciting. For obvious reasons, no one was coming to our house to trick-or-treat. (Though if they had, they would have walked away with tons of amazing candy.)

Last Halloween was my first year not living in a mortuary or an apartment for Halloween. Because G-Man was on the way, I decided I needed an attitude adjustment so he could have fun with this holiday if he chooses. I'm happy to report that I'm getting better. I'm even going to have his 6 month picture taken in his costume. (No, I'm not telling you what he's going to be. You'll have to check back when I post the pictures.)

Now, on to the questions from Ace...
Do you think Halloween costumes for kids and teenagers are too provocative these days?
Yes. I had a horrible time finding a Halloween costume last year when I was 3 months pregnant. It was a frustrating and sad time.

What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Honestly, I don't watch scary movies very much. I can't even remember the last one I saw. I tend to prefer suspenseful movies over slasher horror movies. It seems like "The Sixth Sense" scared me. That's the only movie I can come up with right now.

What's the first Halloween costume that you remember wearing?
Raggedy Ann. My mom made me that costume and I remember wearing it to kindergarten. I think I wore it the next year too. And I know my sister wore it at least once when she got old enough.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What did you go as?
Last year, I dressed up as an oven. The front door of the oven actually opened and there was a bun inside. I thought it was the most hilarious costume ever. And a few people that didn't know I was pregnant found out that night. (Diggity's costume was fabulous. The theme of the party was super heroes - which is why I bucked the theme and went out on my own. I was not about to wear tights. Diggity dressed up as "Mullet Man." His cape was a towel from Wal Mart and he talked in a Southern accent all night. People still talk about it.)

When you were growing up, what was the weather like on Halloween night? Did you ever have to trick-or-treat in a heavy coat or through the snow?
It seems like it was cold. I don't know. We were one of those families that drove around to go trick or treating. Ace would have been envious.

P.S. My favorite Halloween in a long time was when I got to go hang out with AnnDee, Millie, Cathy and Shelby. Shelby made our skirts and t-shirts. We wanted to be pretty witches. Some of the dances and parties we went to were a bit of a bust, but I really loved planning our costumes and dressing up that night. I also love those shoes. I still wear them.

I'm now going to tag anyone who reads this and needs an idea for something to post. :)