Halloween in Regland...

Halloween in our house has historically been a HUGE deal.  I used to plan my kids costumes in the summer.  There were elaborate plans, big purchases...much hype.  Often my kids were Star Wars characters - Luke skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Jango Fett, Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan...  We have also had Dorothy and the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter galore, George Washington, Ninjas...I shudder to think of the money that was spent on these costumes.  The only saving thought I have here is that my children have always been REALLY into imaginative play and wore the heck out of those costumes.  I think that my exuberance for Halloween has been burnt out.  This year I did not plan anything ahead of time.  A week before Halloween three of my kids announced that they were going to be football players and for the most part they had everything they were going to wear in their closets.  Wally did decide to be Harry Potter for the second time in his life, but I given the amount of time he spends reading and rereading the books, I was willing to buy him another Harry costume that should fit him for years to come.  He really did make an awesome Harry Potter!  This year my kids planned their costumes and they did not notice that my approach was different.  This was their deal and they were just as happy with how it turned out and I barely spent any money.  It just goes to show that the amount of money that goes into an endeavor does not necessarily impact it's success.  There is so much hype around Halloween and getting the "right" costume too many of us get sucked in.  I am closing the door on that phase.  Cha-Ching....