Spin Cycle: Parochial School Parents Gone Wild!

To say that Jude's school goes all-out for Halloween is a gross understatement. The Halloween Parade is hands-down THE biggest, most anticipated event of the school year. Parents spend months planning and constructing the most outrageous and memorable costumes.

Every year, I look at the Kindergarten parents, the newbies to the school, standing with their little store-bought princess or superhero and they all have the same look on their faces - "Next year, I've got to step this up."

Now I know, there are some parents who think it's all totally ridiculous, I've heard the complaints "These people are crazy!", "It's not even about the children, these parents are SO competative!"

And to them I say..."Yeah, DUH!" And I also say "Lighten up! It's FUN!"

Not just fun for the parents, but he kids go crazy too! They absolutely love it. With the 8th Graders serving as judges, each grade gives out three prizes - Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume and Most Creative. What do the winners win? A $2 Baskin-Robbins gift certificate. And a memory that will last a lifetime. 

The competition is FIERCE. Bitter rivalries have developed. I've heard parents shout things like "I was ROBBED!" and "I'll get you next year!" But all in good fun.

And there's something I dearly love about the subversive nature of the fact that this CATHOLIC school goes nuts NOT for Christmas or Easter, but for the most pagan of all holidays, All Hallows Eve.

It can be kind of heart-breaking, because there are so many great costumes, that not everybody can win, and I'm afraid that often some of the best costumes don't win, mostly because the judges are the silly 8th Graders, who often just don't get it.

And as they say, not everyone can be a winner. Oh...except for...MOI!

Yes, once again, Jude took home a big prize!! This year he won for Funniest Costume! Here's his chicken...

 

Isn't he the funniest chicken you've every seen?! And he totally sold it, he clucked and scratched and flapped his little wings, and right in the middle of the entire student body, the child squatted and laid an egg! I swear to God! Now, THAT'S comedy! Two separate mothers came up to me later and said that when Jude laid his egg they actually peed themselves.

I'm so proud. Really, ridiculously proud. He was so thrilled by his costume. And I must say, I worked damned hard on it. For those of you who are curious, it's an adult-sized white hoodie, with feather boas sewn around it. And of course, the feet are rubber gloves.

Here is a gallery of my favorites from this year (well, at least my favorites that I seem to be able to find pictures of). To those friends who I stole pictures of their children off their Facebook pages, I say "Thank you!"...

The Roller Ghoster...

 

Two Third Grade girls as Kanye West and Taylor Swift...

 

A magician and her lovely assistant. They actually sawed a little girl in half, y'all!...

 

 Not one, but TWO roller derby teams! One group of Second Grader girls, and one group of Fourth Grade girls...

 

The Beatles!...

 

Chilean miners...

 

 A troop of Ghoul Scouts and a Facebook page...

 

This kid's costumes are always brilliant...

 

Last year, he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, though all we saw of him was his feet with the ruby slippers. He had a huge, mechanized tornado which swirled around him while he walked. And a couple of years ago he was the Empire State Building, complete with King Kong scaling his side, and operating airplanes circling him trying to shoot down Kong. Outrageous.

An ice cream sandwich pulling it's own ice cream truck...

 

So now, after winning last year for Scariest Costume, and this year for Funniest Costume, Jude has announced that he wants to go for Most Creative, sort of the Triple Crown of the Halloween Parade.

This is big pressure, people. Most Creative? That's the hardest of all! Maybe I can convince him to take a year off, and just do something simple. Give Mama a break. But...

NAh! Bring it on. Any ideas?

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And for more big Halloween followup stories, visit Sprite's Keeper.

Comments

[Amy in Australia]

These are amazing!! Seriously. And Jude is adorable--I can't believe he laid an egg! Hilarious!

I remember your post about the Tiger Cub mtg where you felt guilty cause you didn't feel like you'd helped him earn enough badges...well girl, this costume and the effort involved proves you're a pretty with-it mama!

[Erica@Pines Lake Redhead]

That chicken costume was awesome! My first thought was, "OMG, tell me she didn't glue on every single feather." Good thinking with the boas.

[Mama Badger]

That costume is hysterical. You're not kidding when you said they go all out! In teams, even.

I feel for the newbie kids at our school, too. Little ones with older siblings (like little o) are prepared, but the really NEW kids? Screwed. You'd think they would warn them, or something.

[Sprite's Keeper]

Yay, Jude! I just knew he would win after you released what he wanted to be. Great costume! Most creative, huh?
How about a figment of one's imagination?
You're linked!

[Brenda]

What a great costume - you did a wonderful job on it! The kid inside it is pretty cute too. ;o)

[Laufa]

When we were at our Fall Festival, my MJ was dressed as the Twister Game. Some lady said, "That's the best game next to Clue." Guess I better get started on next year, Clue has a lot of props. HMMM...
Congrats Jude, that is an awesome costume, was he holding the eggs to drop out? So funny!

[Jenni]

Jude's costume was awesome! Well done!

[Keely]

Fan-freaking-tastic.

"Most Creative" is a pretty broad stroke. Does the anaconda kid win every year?

[MommyLisa]

WOWZERS! I could not live up to that pressure!

[lala]

That is v crafty of you, that costume, with the boas -- v smart. Rubber gloves!

Maybe yr poultry-guy is at that age where he says "nothing," when you ask him how was school, so you couldn't know, but Church has been observing All Hallows' Eve since Pope St Gregory made it the vigil for saints' remembrance. Feasting & merriment have been part of the culture for a thousand years, so no worries there.

What the frank is that kid with the butterfly net supposed to be?

[Peg]

WOW... Amazing! They really DO go all out, don't they? That's some creative parents. I feel bad for the kids whose parents don't go all out now!