Halloween Crisis

things obviously turned out ok...

In addition to the crazy grading I've been doing, Mom time has been filled with Halloween preparation. I spread the wealth, or tried to, and somehow managed to have the girls' Dad purchase one of the costumes while I did the other. DD1 poured over catalogs for a month and finally settled on a pirate costume two weeks ago, just before they went to their Dad's for fall break.

On Sunday at the end of their fall break I met them at Party City (over an hour away from our house), and they had already made the purchase. DD1 was sooooooooooooooo excited on the way home, and raced in the house to try it on for me. Within minutes, she came bursting out of her room sobbing and hyperventilating - the costume was too small, the straps had already broken, and the leggings were missing. I asked if she had tried it on at the store, and she said yes, she had, over her pants.

I was the picture of calm. Inside I was just shaking my head and irritated beyond belief - not at DD1, but at her Dad. How was it possible that this could be that messed up? She, however, didn't need to know this, so I kept it together and told her we would take care of it. She starts crying even more, as there is no Party City near us, and she just couldn't figure out how we were going to solve this problem. I looked online - we could order it, but it would be Friday before it arrives, and she needed it by Thursday.

I finally convince her that all will be fine, that we have time to go to our next nearest shopping opportunity which is..... 45 miles away - on Monday.

So we went. Along with just about every other person in the mid-state area. I've never, ever seen a Party City so crowded. We tried on and bought the costume.... again. I had no receipt, plus it was missing pieces and broken, so I just bought it.

Since we were going all that way we made a shopping expedition out of it, and five hours later returned home considerably more broke than when we left, but she also had jewelry to wear with the costume and beyond, a new jacket for DD2's cat costume that could be worn inside out because it was "furry" as well as on cool days, and a new trench coat and some cold weather running gear for me. All was right with the world, though, and both girls were pleased with their Halloween costumes.

Halloween day DD1 and I bonded as we painted our fingernails black. I'm still sporting mine. My students today said I looked trendy. I think they are just brown-nosing.