This past weekend was the infamous Halloween Horse Show. It's infamous because horse shows are long and October is cold and October in a barn is even colder. October in a barn for eight hours is infamous.
But I am a mom of daughters who ride. So I sit in the barn and shiver and wait for their turn. It helps that my husband loves me and will go to Starbuck's to buy me a latte, even though it takes all he has not to scream to the clerk about how it costs more than four dollars. I also love him, so while I drink the latte I listen to him rant to me about the cost and ask rhetorical questions like, "You don't do this often do you?"
It is also infamous because of costume class. This is the last class of the day when the riders get to dress up their horse. Even though I try not to be competitive, I can't help myself. This class is really for me.
The girls and I have great fun thinking of a theme and then I get to use all my crafting ability to make it come to life. Even though it takes a chunk of time to put together, we love it.
I blame my family for this. Halloween growing up was always done "right". Great homemade costumes (except for the Wonder Woman costume in second grade and I think my mom gave in to my whining that year), spooky house decorations. One year my dad dressed in ultraviolet paint so he would glow in black light. Another year he rigged a hose to "hiss" at the end of the driveway. This scared the parents while they waited for their kids.
So, of course we go big with our costumes, we have a family tradition to uphold.
The second year we transformed the horse into a fire truck. It's an excellent example of the wonders of duct tape.
This year, I didn't try so hard, but I think the theme was clever. The horse turned into camel and the girls were an Egyptian and a British Egyptologist.
I know cute, clever, crafty. I agree.
Every year we have come in second.
Every year on the way home Maeve and Hilde say "Mom, it's just a costume class. We do it for fun not to win."
Yes, yes that's true, but next year, next year will be different.