Choir in Costume

We hold our choir rehearsals on Saturday mornings, which means this week it fell on Halloween. We invited the kids to come in costume, so we did as well. We just happened to have these very musical costumes on hand. It took many baby wipes, but I did successfully get all the green off.

Robotic

Knowing that the glowsticks wouldn't work in the daylight, I added Christmas lights to the front of Topher's costume for his school costume parade. Then, the day before the event, Topher came home and announced that his teacher said they were all old enough to put on their costumes without adult help for the parade. That's great, except Topher's robot arms were held on by binder clips which he could not attach himself! I began to brainstorm a solution. The morning of the parade, I had an idea. I used duct tape to create a strap that went across his shoulders, holding the arms in place. He practiced putting the whole thing on, arms first, then the body, then the hat. The shoe covers I made disappeared and were never found, so we made do with his light-up shoes.

Guys, I might be a genius. I'm way prouder of that arm solution than I probably should be.

Did he get the costume on by himself for the parade? Yes!

Were the arms upside down so the strap was on his mid-back instead of his shoulders? Possibly!

Was it still a totally awesome costume? Also yes!

Topher was solidly in character while we walked the parade route. Some of the moms that attended the parade told me afterward that they tried to get Topher's attention while we walked past them. He turned his head toward them with a robotic movement, then made some beeping and booping sounds, and kept walking. He might be a method actor.

Mr. Robot

We went to a trunk or treat party tonight and Topher won second place in the costume contest! He was surprised and delighted! The announcer had each kid say who they were dressed as. Topher used a robot voice when he spoke into the mic and said, "I am a ro-bot." I think that probably helped.

Costumes and Candy

We attended our first Halloween event of the year last night. We went to the annual Boo Bash at Bryan's work. Then, instead of grabbing Wendy's to eat on the 45 minute drive home, we stopped and had fancy Italian food from a restaurant that had an impressive gluten free menu. It was a late night, but a really fun one.

I think the costumes turned out quite well this year. Phoebe curated hers and helped with Sophie's. I made Topher's out of unused pizza boxes, duct tape, a dryer vent, and glow sticks. Oh, and an Amazon box for his hat and tissue boxes for his feet. Those came off quickly, I'll need to tinker with my design.

In-House Costume Department: Halloween Mode

All the World's a Stage

There was an afternoon last week when Topher and I were the only people at home. He decided to hold a talent show. I played the ukulele and sang a song. He performed an original composition and played his homemade banjo, then he beatboxed and danced, then he demonstrated sword fighting. It was an entertaining show.

Same First Name

Topher's class has been working on their wax museum projects for several weeks. Topher saw the list of options and decided on Christopher Columbus since they share the same first name. There was also a boy named Marco in his class that picked Marco Polo, so Topher was not alone in his first-name choice.

He researched, wrote, and practiced. The costume and props were my job. Thanks to a healthy backstock of costume items, we were able to put this together without buying anything.

That's why I felt okay buying a wig to add to his look. He didn't love the idea.

But seriously, the wig made the costume.

Topher did a great job on his presentation! He had it mostly memorized and spoke clearly. They each picked a pose and stayed frozen until one of the many parents stopped at their station and tapped the Push button. Then they would begin talking.

As soon as he finished his speech he returned to his wax museum pose, which is what they'd been told to do. One of the moms told me she was impressed that he didn't unfreeze when she tried to talk to him. 

Great work , Topher!

Pick Your Favorite

I've lost count of how many spirit weeks we've had at school this year. This week we're celebrating Dr. Suess' birthday and the first costume prompt was to dress like your favorite book character. Unfortunately, until 10 minutes before we had to leave to take Sophie to her before school student government meeting, I thought it was pajama day. I learned my mistake when I double checked the flyer that had come home. So, with new information in hand, we scrambled. I don't love Dog Man, but Topher does, and I was thankful that it was an easy costume to assemble. Double-sided fabric tape and construction paper to the rescue!

He's Aged Well

Today was the 100th day of school and Topher got to dress like a 100-year-old version of himself. He was rather disgruntled that I wouldn't buy him a wheelchair for the occasion. I also opted to not send him with a cane because I worried for the safety of everyone around him. He let us put dry shampoo and baby powder in his hair, but it didn't show up very well in the pictures. He also let me use eyeliner to give him age lines, but not very many. He was adamant that the lines stay on his forehead. In other words, he was more early-middle aged rather than 100, but we tried.

And he's awfully cute.

Off With His Head!

Tonight we saw Phoebe perform in Alice in Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts. I know I've said this about others roles she's played, but it applies here too: SHE STOLE THE SHOW! And I'm not the only person that thought so. It was a student directed show and the director's dad had the same comment about Phoebe's performance. She was nuanced and multi-dimensional and kind of terrifying. Also, she was fantastic!

Fun fact: the kid who played Mr. Wormwood across from Phoebe's Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda in seventh grade played the King of Hearts across from her in this. 

Here Comes Halloween

Our Halloween included two exceptionally cold costume parades, including Sophie's last,

some much anticipated pumpkin painting,

handing out candy on a particularly windy and cold evening,

trick-or-treating with siblings and a friend who joined us for the two hours and two miles of walking,

a costume picture,

and waaaaaaaaaaaay too much candy.

Overall, it was a very successful day!