Bah Humbug on Halloween

I have had it...really, I have. Is there honestly any reason for my children to have to see all the freaks of the poly-vinyl variety every time we enter a store? Could they not just put up a sign that reads, "All un-holy, un-natural, scary, freakish apparel and accessories located in the dark recesses of the store." Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.

I have just spent the afternoon with my children looking for costumes for the Fall Festival (Halloween alternative) at our church. They both wanted to be specific characters which I did not have the resources to build at home. So, we set forth to price store bought costumes. ( A big shout out to Aunt Suzan who began this costume search tradition last year when my illness kept me from being all that holiday-ish! )

Anyway, we walked into the Factory Card Outlet, only to be greeted by a foul looking ghoul who was mechanically "alive" for all intents and purposes. The little boys came unglued...I'm not kidding. That should've been a major hint, but I lured them into the birthday aisle, where they were momentarily mesmerized by Backyardigans, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Diego...relatively harmless animated characters.

All was well until....they looked UP! MORE GHOULS! Hanging from the ceiling, of all places! Heaven help us! There were tears, wails...I may have been hot lined for all I know. They were just a mess. Owen, on the other hand, was content to peruse through the assortment of light sabers. "Just find that costume lady, and tell her what you want!", I insisted. He did, and we proceeded to the checkout, only to be startled by gummie snakes, tarantulas, and the like! My goodness! At this point, I was questioning whether a 9 year old could make a purchase alone if given my debit card. I knew the answer, but I was tempted.

The little boys were once again distracted, this time by the mylar balloon assortment over the counter. Thomas, Diego, Charlie Brown...all sorts of friendly faces inflated and smiling down on us. But then...we had to leave the store. I kid you not, never in all my life have I seen two children simultaneously freak out before, but I saw it today! They were crying, kicking, running the other way. Totally blindsided me. What in the world? I looked at the lady and stated, "You might want to move that thing from the entrance." Turns out, the boys were not as distracted as I might have hoped, and I literally had to fight my way out of the store. It was an intense struggle...no joke. They wanted to leave, but were too frightened. Good grief!

And me, well, I was really very understanding. I tried to bolster their confidence. I tried consoling. I tried carrying and shielding. I relied on all my motherly, child-development educated, common sensical resources, but I failed...girls, I failed miserably!

Owen and I were laughing, it was all just comical. I mean, understandably terrifying, and had I known, I would have made different costume shopping arrangements. But it was hysterical...in every sense of the word. My babies had to be dragged in front of and past a hell-ish looking mechanized ghoul to get out of the store.

Isaac actually threw a shoe kicking in refusal, and Levi was just walking with his eyes covered, screaming "NO!" and running into who knows what! It was a mess. I think from now on the boys will be baseball players, or football players, or my suggestion...Norm Abrams from This Old House! Anything but anything that has to be purchased in a store. AND...I will be shopping alone until all Halloween decorations are gone.

I must go now...I need a LONG rest!

Just a thought...wouldn't it be amazing if we all had that kind of reaction when confronted by sin? The sudden urge to flee...to get away, no matter how crazy we looked or how rediculous we behaved as we headed the other direction...back toward Christ and his righteousness. I've been made numb to the ugliness of sin...in so many areas. Wow...what a wake up call!

Blessings,

Leslie