Trick Or Treat

Okay, I wasn't going to post these pictures, but after positive feedback from friends on Facebook, I decided I should.

I spent A LOT of hours handmaking Thomas' sheep costume. I went through 5 scenes of yarn, 30 or more glue sticks, 12+ accumulated hours and many burns to produce the costume.

Then, I tried it on him.

He screamed.

It was so big, and so bulky, and so hot. So, I sheared the sheep. I trimmed the costume about an inch all over, which added about another hour or work and a HUGE mess to my floor.

A day later I re-tried it on him.

He screamed.

I was shocked to see that it was still so big and bulky and hot. And with this unseasonably warm weather I was afraid he would over heat. So, I got out the scissors and sheared another inch.

By this time I was obsessing over the costume, and it appeared to have so many bare spots. So, I got more hot glue sticks and started filling in the spots. But, I still wasn't happy with it. But, I had to walk away because it was consuming me.

So, I turned my focus to Gracie. I made her a hat. I bought the straw hat, but I covered it with fabric and I added ribbons and bows. Then I made her a treat bag from a plain canvas bag and added the yard clippings and some felt to make a sheep on her bag. Then I added ribbon to a candy cane Christmas yard decoration that Grandma donated to the Halloween cause. And, now Gracie was set.

I then added a jingle bell to the red ribbon that matched Gracie's accessories and Thomas had a bell for his neck. But, he didn't have a cute treat bag. So, I got the great idea to cover a Halloween bucket with green construction paper strips and make it look like grass! What do sheep eat? Grass of course!

Well, I don't think anyone noticed the grass idea--but no one seemed to notice the bad job on the costume in the dark either.

The neighbors just went to pieces over Little Bo Peep and her sheep! They got so many compliments, and they raved over Gracie, and when they saw Thomas toddle behind her they all just gushed and gushed over the combo.

The idea was completely Gracie's. Last year's princess and frog idea was hers too. I love how she includes him in her creativity, and of course I love not having to do commercial characters.

The sheep made it to about 5 houses, and he loved Trick or Treating! He of course cried and cried over getting the costume on, and once it was on, but when we went outside and started walking he got curious.

The first house we went to, he held out his hand since the man had given something to Gracie. The man gave him the treat (cookies) and Thomas put it in his grass bucket himself. I cheered for him and gave him a high-five. He then wanted Gracie to high-five him, and then reached his little hand to the man for one as well. This of course made the elderly man's day and he high five-d the proud little sheep.

We headed to the next house and he was an expert on the idea by now.

He wasn't the least bit shy or scared (like his sister until age 5!!!), and he proudly toddled to each porch and waited for his treat, and gave high-fives and then open and closed his little hand and said "bye."

What an impression my children made.

After house #5, or maybe it was #6, the sheep was ready for pasture.

Gracie and daddy continued on and mommy shepherded the tired little lamb to his bed.

Gracie and daddy came back about 45 minutes later with quite a haul.

Gracie (being completely her momma's child) sorted her candy by type, and then we let her choose two to have before getting ready for bed.

What a night my two characters had.

It was one of those better than usual nights to be a mommy.

We hope all of your little darlings had a great Halloween as well!!

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