OMSH

Last week was truly a challenge in more ways than one. I was working very hard to get over a goopy, head-stuffy, nose-runny, throat-itchy kind of cold. On top of that, I had three costumes to sew in time for last night’s Character Quest. My house was an absolute wreck and there were clients and homeschooling to attend to as well.

My time was severely divided up into bite-size portions that I tried to munch through without leaving any crumbs behind.

So last night I was more than happy to just put away all other concerns and enjoy the kids and Jeff as we painted faces and dressed for the annual Character Quest at our church.

Emelie was a clown.

Meredith was Pocahontas. Not only that, but she was a very limber Pocahontas. I kid you not when I say that the moccasin she is proudly displaying in this photo is ON HER FOOT.

It is my hunch that when Pocahontas wasn’t gallivanting around with Capt. John Smith, she was practicing Yoga.

Kenny chose early on to be an octopus. Of all the things he could have pulled out of the air – or the sea, so far as this is concerned – he chose an octopus.

Just so you know, and in case your son or daughter thinks they might want to be an octopus, there are NO patterns for an octopus. You might want to work hard and long to dissuade them, because it’s going to take a good deal of work on your part to make it happen.

When I say there are NO PATTERNS, I mean not anywhere.

Not online.
Not in a store.
Not in a box – not with a fox,
nor on a boat – even one that floats.

THEY ARE NOWHERE.

We started with a bit of face paint. Naturally, his octopus required strips of seaweed in front of him to serve as camouflage. Soon you’ll see why his camouflage couldn’t possibly work.

Jeff was dressed as well. He was Father Abraham. He had many sons…

…and an octopus and Pocahontas.

(Not to mention the clown that already took off to meet up with friends.)

Though nearly 99 at this point, Abraham and Sarai were ‘busy’.

I thought Jeff did a great job with his lines. Character Quest is this fun activity where different members of our church body dress up like bible characters and the kids have to try to guess who they are. There are 14 rooms and 14 different characters. As the kids move from room to room they get candy and work through a code (found throughout the names of the characters).

When they’ve reached the end, all the letters pulled from various names spell out a special message – and THAT message gets them FREE PIZZA and cake.

There are few things I like more than someone ELSE feeding my children for dinner.

So.delightful.

I learned a couple of things throughout the process of outfitting my offspring – I thought I’d share’em with you.

First, Pocahontas really digs BOGO at Payless.

Crocs are the choice shoe for sweat pant wearing Octopi.

No matter how many people an Octopus passes, they all have to feel his tentacles. Yes, I said TENTACLES!

If Meredith ever gets a bug up her bum to color her hair, black isn’t an option.

“Yes, I’ll take ‘If Cleopatra and Pocahontas mated???’ for $500.00.”

A dark room + a moving boy = a really groovy shot.

Duuuuuuuude!

Red paint hairspray is the absolute WORST STUFF EVER to use.

Imagine red.
Now, imagine it all over everything.
Now, imagine it all over everything, plus your hands, plus your towels, plus your favorite brush.
Oh yeah, NOT COOL.

In spite of all my learning experiences, the night was A BLAST.

Red lipstick and all.

Her future has become all too clear to both me and her Daddy.

Or y’know, maybe not.

Doesn’t that one wig you out just a little?
Or maybe a lot?
For me?
It’s a LOT.

This post has been re-published following a database deletion on November 1, 2008; sorry all comments were lost.

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