My Things

“What should I be for Halloween?” Samuel asked.

We were driving down River Road. I winced and glanced in the rearview mirror to see if Gabe and Zay were sleeping. They weren’t.

“Ya, Mom, what can I be?” asked Gabriel.

“Me, too,” said Isaiah. “What can I be, too?”

I guessed it was time to start my October ritual. I’d begin by scratching my head – wondering what kind of costumes I could whip up with a glue gun. By mid-month I’d be pulling my hair out – trying to outfit three guys in something clever and affordable and not too itchy.

I drove a mile or two when a suggestion came to mind. “Why don’t you guys throw me some ideas?” I asked. “You tell me what you’d like to be and I’ll tell you if we can make it work.”

“A mummy,” said Gabe. “Wrapped in toilet paper.”

“Bitey Man,” said Zay.

“Captain Hook,” said Sam. “I can use your Kitchen Aide mixer thing.”

I smiled. “Mummy, no. Spider Man, yes. Kitchen Aide mixer thing, no.”

The van was silent for a moment. Then Sam piped up again. “The Cat in the Hat?” he asked. “No wait – the Things.  Cat’s sidekicks! I’ll be Thing I. Gabe can be Thing II.”

“Never mind Bitey Man,” Zay said. “I wanna beThing II, too.”

I thought about Samuel’s idea. A walk to the T-shirt shop. Blue hair spray. White face paint. Manageable stuff. No trauma. No drama. “Sold,” I said.

The boys were thrilled with their idea. Soon a familiar song filled my van. “Let’s go, go, go on an adventure, the Thingamajigger is up and away...” My guys’ little-boy voices grew louder and louder, and the enthusiasm was contagious.

I joined the chorus.  And it wasn’t long before I wanted to go on the adventure, too.

Thank you Lord for my Things and for the way that they remind me to have fun.