Horror-ific Halloween!

This is going to be our first really "sensory-aware" Halloween, but I gotta tell ya.......every Halloween with Jennica has been rough. The only difference this year is that now we understand WHY its so rough.

First of all, let me say that I LOVE this time of year. I say that at the start of pretty much every season, but there really is something special about fall. The winding down from summer.....football......leaves........pumpkins......being home more. I enjoy the rain starting (yes.....I know that there are those of you that claim that it never stopped), the days getting shorter, the chill in the air, the cold breeze, the horses getting fluffy winter coats.

And Halloween. Somewhere between my childhood (which was yesterday, DARN IT) and the present, Halloween became a HUGE holiday. Anyone else notice that? Halloween used to involve about a week of art projects at school, carving a pumpkin, a costume, and that was it. Now............it rivals Christmas. The stores are filled with Halloween stuff right after July 4th. Its truly insane! And when did Halloween become such a holiday of, "How trashy can our daughter dress?" What's with the sexy costumes for 6-year-olds? Anyway.......

In any case, Jennica has been asking for at least a month when Halloween will be here. Once again, its the child needing to control as many pieces of her environment as possible, since so much of her environment is beyond her control. I've shown her on the calendar repeatedly, "We're right here.........and Halloween is here." Now, we're down to counting the days. But she has been asking like crazy to go to "the Halloween store." Mike took her to Party City last fall on one of our many doctor's trips, and she has never forgotten it. So, since the minute that she saw the first signs of Halloween this year, she's been asking to go. Yesterday was the day, since we had a little time after her OT and doctor's appointment in Tacoma. (More on the doctor's appointment later....)

I was actually looking forward to going to Party City with Jen. They do Halloween "right" there, complete with the music, the lights, the decorations......it is truly a Halloween experience. And a sensory nightmare, as I found out. Jennica was SO wanting to be there, and all 48 pounds of her climbed my leg. I managed to peel her off of my back when she landed somewhere near my shoulder blades, and plunked her into a shopping cart. She quickly found a witch's hat, crammed it down over her eyes, and told me to tell her "when the scary stuff is gone". Well........the whole store is full of scary stuff. That is the point of the whole place. I told her we could leave, and she insisted that she didn't want to go! Sigh............She lifted up the hat enough to glance around once of twice. And crammed it back down. The undeniable highlight was a fellow shopper that Jen thought was a statue standing at the end of an aisle on one of her brief glances. And then the shopper moved and Jen screamed bloody murder. It wasn't nice.......but I admit that I laughed.

We got out of the store with this year's Halloween costumes in their bags. A cheerleader for Tiersten, and a witch for Jen. All was good. Until we got home and I quickly discovered that this witch costume is a tactile nightmare. The sleeves are puffy tulle things that scratch and itch, there is scratchy itchy lace around the neck, the skirt is puffy tulle underneath that.....you guessed 'er......scratches and itches. GROAN.........I should have thought of that. Of course, Jennica is in love with this costume, but she can't stand to wear it for 60 seconds. I told her that I was going to take it back and she flipped out. I offered to MAKE her a witch's costume (yes......sew......in my "spare time") but she insists that she wants THIS costume.

So...........I haven't figured out quite what I'm going to do. I have 2 weeks to decide. Less if I'm going to end up sewing something. But I can guaran-friggin'-tee that Jennica wearing the costume she has is going to cause a Halloween of nightmarish proportions for anyone within 100 yards. Taking the costume back is going to cause a problem, too, so I've got to weigh my options carefully.

I still can't believe that I didn't handle the costume issue better. I was thinking about getting her out of the store as quickly as possible, and gauging the chosen item from an SPD standpoint just didn't click through to me. I was thinking "cute"...........not "itchy." So..........maybe there is a business here for me. "Sensory Costumes??" Anyone? UGH!