Flashback Friday - the Costume Trunk

As I struggle with a 3 1/2 year old who is telling his Halloween loving mother that he wants to be "just a boy, Mommy" and that "we don't need Halloween, Mommy. It's not a good idea" -all while every creative gene in my body is screaming to build him the best Halloween costume ever - I remember back to the Halloween's of my childhood.

We had a big orange trunk in our family room - it did not contain toys (they were in a different toy box) but was filled with all sorts of costumes. Most were dance costumes from my older sisters - there was a gypsy and I think a peacock of some kind - but others were fun Halloween costumes -the sheep (see cute little me over there as the sheep), the brown dog - and I know there were more.

Each year we would delve into the trunk - seeing what fit who, or what could be adapted, embellished, altered or enhanced to create whatever our imaginations came up with that year. No store bought costumes around our house - but we had some great ones! Gypsies, ghosts, and other such elegance.

That and lots of jack-o-lanterns out front, with lots of pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven - YUM!!!

I also remember the years big brother Rick decided to rig up some speakers and a microphone and be the spooky noises at the front door.

We really did not get a ton of trick-or treaters at our house - mostly kids who lived in the few houses around us on our rural road. Costumes were frequently covered up by coats and hats and gloves - and had to handle getting in and out of the car frequently as Mom and Dad drove us around to more houses.

I can live with the Munchkin going trick-or-treating as "just a boy" - his box of costumes and spark of creativity may yet still come.

My only dread is that come Halloween morning that he does not suddenly decide he wants to be something more complicated than "just a boy, Mommy."

That's when I will wish for that big orange trunk...