Wordless Wednesday

 

Hubs' first time dressing up for Halloween

He stole the show as

MADEA!

Happy Halloween!

IT'S HALLOWEEN! 

IT'S My Favorite holiday of the year!

I've never been one to love the Christmas Season, though, it's starting to grow on my, but Halloween is a holiday that is just plain fun!

This year the kids have pretty awesome costumes. 

Here are some pictures from Friday's Halloween Hootie Day they had at school They were Michael Jackson, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj... I mean Strawberry Shortcake.



I was glad that they were able to wear their costumes to school because this has never happened before.  Our school and most that I know of, don't allow kids to dress up at school anymore and don't do the party thing. 

Remember when we were kids when every holiday was a reason to party?  Schools are really starting to SUCK these days.  Imagine school being a place to LEARN!  Hmp!

But this year things were different.  Our school has implements Hoot Loot, a behavior incentive program where when kids are caught being GOOD, being Prepared, Polite and Positive, a teacher adminitrator or staff member might just give them a Hoot Loot ticket.  These tickets can be used to buy all types of things from the Hoot Loot cart that comes around on Fridays, or saved for even bigger prizes, like the Hoot Loot Parties.

Each of my kids saved 10 Hoot Loot tickets to go to the Halloween Hoot Loot party where they were able to wear their costumes to school and attend a party.

This is great!

It has always been a sore spot for me when talking about not celebrating Halloween in the school and allowing kids to have fun for the sake of the kids who didn't celebrate Halloween.

As a matter of face, I have been chastised and criticized quite often for allowing my kids to celebrate "The Devil's Holiday".  Even the boys have come and asked me why do we celebrate the Devil's Holiday because their friends don't.

 Just 2 weeks ago my grandmother asked me if I was taking my kids Trick or Treating and when I responded yes, she asked if I know that the holiday was meant to celebrate the devil and went on to tell me that lot of churches have Hallelujah Night as an alternative.

Now, while I don't knock anyone who prefers Hallelujah Night, I don't feel that I should be considers a bad parent because I LOVE taking my kids Trick or Treating. 

I went Trick or Treating as a child and I came out just fine... for the most part.  I don't remember brewing up spells or conjuring up evil spirits.  And I don't remember praising the devil when I said my prayers at night. 

What I do remember is going out and getting TONS of candy and having a great time walking around the neighborhood seeing my friends dressed up a an array of funny, scary and just plain awesome costumes!  (remember the super hero costumes with the plastic face masks?) 

This is what I do with my kids.  So what is the harm in such?  The true meaning of Halloween had nothing to do with worshiping the devil, as so many of my family and friends seem to believe.  For me, it's a day of fun.  A day for us to let lose as a family and go and beg for candy.  A day where, once the kids are all asleep, mom gets to steal all of their Reece's Cups!

Okay, maybe there IS some mischief going on on Halloween Night!

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN, ALL!

They don't look like me..

Halloween is right around the corner. Whoo HOOOO!



The Party City flyers have started coming every week. This week, Miss Missy decided to look at it together at the kitchen table as she enjoyed her afterschool snack.



Party City has a lot of costumes on display on the front page.



"I like this one, mommy." She was referring to a Snow White costume.



"But you already have that one. You just wore it on your birthday."



"Yeah, but it's old already. I need a new one."



"Hmm. What about this cat costume. You said you wanted to be a cat, right?"



Yeah, but that cat has pink on it. I want my cat costume to be all black. Cats don't have pink on them." Okay, so the pink fur around the head, arms and legs, down the front and the tail was a bit much. But it was meant to be cute. I thought she loved cute!



After looking through the flier a few minutes more, she says to me, "Mommy, there aren't any brown people on here."



"You know, baby, you're right. There aren't an brown people." I was surprised she'd noticed. I mean, I'd noticed the same thing on the previous flier, but for her to notice was a surprise. She's 5 for goodness sakes.



"There should at least be some brown or black or light brown people that look like me and you and daddy on here. That's not fair."



"It's not fair, Hunny. Perhaps we should write them a letter."



"YES WE SHOULD."



She marched off to get her construction paper and crayons.



********************************************************



Dear Party City Advertisers,



I have purchase a costume from your company every year for the past 5 years. As an African American mom, I was perturbed by the fact that my 5 year old was able to realize the lack of African Americans (people like her) wearing costumes in your advertisement. African Americans and other races purchase costumes and may see it as biased that people of color are not featured.



In the future, I'd like to see more variety, as our world consists of an assortment of races and backgrounds and we all wear your costumes.



Thanks,



Kay and Kennedy



P.S. If you are in need of a beautiful face of color for your next advertisment, I have the perfect Little Miss who would look absolutely adorable in a Princess Tiana costume!

It's Halloween, People!

OMG! It's Halloween! My FAVE holiday! I missed "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" Tuesday night and almost shed a tear. Although I won't be dressing up with year, I can't wait to see my little munchkins all dressed up and ready to walk the streets in the the freezing cold,getting all the candy they can get, at least until they get tired after the first 3 streets.

I remember when I was a trick or treater. It seems like I NEVER got tired! I wanted to keep going until the last house gave away it's last tootsie roll! My mom was all for it too! She walked us around the neighborhood until almost everyone's porch lights were off. She never dressed up, but for some reason I think she loved it as much as I do now.

That's why I can't for the life of me understand why people would chose not to celebrate this holiday. What the heck is wrong with dressing up like princesses and Power Rangers and having a ball with all of your friends, getting the pee scared out of you?

Okay, so it was created way back when as a day to scare away spirits or something. Hmmm. I don't even think my kids know what a spirit is. And I surely don't think they are running around doing seances and conjuring up the dead. Hecks no! They only want the candy! It's a holiday for fun. That's it!

Okay, Christmas wasn't created to make sure that Joey gets that $400 gaming system and so that you'll have a reason to buy Sally that new laptop and little Sarah an ipod, was it? Can anyone tell me what the true meaning of Christmas is? (Other that Linus and Charlie Brown) But yet and still, we still use that day for something other than what it should be about.

But come on? Getting candy? Why would you take that day away from your kids? In my house they don't get to eat it anyway. They get a few pieces, I get the chocolate, and the rest goes into the closet to be given away at birthday parties or something. It's a win-win situation around here cause mom LOVES her Reeces Cups!

So I let my kids Trick-or-Treat! Hell Yeah! Cause they love it almost as much as I do. And contrary to what some folks like to tell you, it is perfectly harmless and won't turn your kids into psychos later in life! Look at me!

Okay, that might not be the best example.............

Costume time again!

Halloween is just around the corner. Can you believe that? I mean it seems we just put the kids on the bus and sent them off on their first day of school, just had our last summer barbecue, and now, costumes and terrifying decorations are all over our favorite shopping centers.


In case you don't know Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. For me, it trumps Christmas big time! Watching the terrified little kiddies run and scream when Dracula or Jason comes out of nowhere while their trying to get a few pieces of candy, sending them running back to the streets, candy flying everywhere... HA!

Now that's entertainment!

Even with my own kids terrified of my neighbors dressed as the guy from the Chain Saw Massacre and chasing kids with the chain saw blaring, I was outside bubbling over in laughter as my own children cowered inside the house probably under their beds in tears.



About a month ago I sent my kids to the computer to surf the net and let me know what they want to be. Miss Missy has her little heart set on being a witch this year. But not just any witch. No, no, no. A nice witch. No scary ugly-faced witch for Miss Missy. She chose something along these lines. Last year she was a fairy princess, complete with wings and a sparkling tiara. It was some time last year that she lost all of her tom-boy tendencies and became all princess, all the time.



Haven't decided whether to buy it this year, or make one. I think either way the price is going to be about the same as I found that sewing really isn't all that much cheaper than the store made stuff.



Now the boys are both looking to be Star Wars characters again this year. Last year they were Obi Won and Darth Vader. I think Sir Talks-A-Lot is hoping to be Yoda and Runnin' Man is still kinda undecided. I'm thinking that perhaps I can talk him into being a zombie football player since he already has the pads and helmet from football season.



I absolutely can't wait for this day to come. I might even dress up this year and bring out my kiddie side (not that it's ever hidden too deep).