Halloween Awesomeness!!!

Today my heart is full of gratitude.  Not because it is the first day of the Thanksgiving holiday season, but because of some kind words given by a bunch of strangers, to my boys.

My long time readers know that we are a family of nerds.  We can’t help it.  We try to pretend we are cool and into things that other people are for social reasons… but most of the time our inner nerds come out and we get some eye rolls and get forgotten once or twice to be invited to social events.  It’s okay, it’s always been that way, and actually sometimes we would rather say in and watch TV or play games as a family.  And sometimes we just want to go for a run!

But to our kids, life is a little harder on the nerdy ones.  Both my older boys who struggle with some special needs, anyway, also get picked on and bullied from time to time because of they are a little bit geeky and it shows.  Sam has WAY more important things to do in the morning, like organizing his legos, than to comb his hair.  Nephi doesn’t like to wear clean socks… if it isn’t one thing it is another and no matter how many times I tell them to look and SMELL presentable, they just don’t have the time to care.

While the cool kids are playing basketball and other sports at recess, my kids are running around being superheroes or Doctor Who… There is NOTHING wrong with it.  Heck, I did it too!  So did their dad.  We have it in our genes to have over-active imaginations.  But we also know that sometimes, it isn’t “cool.”  Both my husband and I were bullied as kids.  We know how it feels.  But it hurts MORE to have it done to our kids.

But I won’t get into that today.

Today is a happy day!

A few of my friends were complaining about Halloween on Facebook yesterday.  They complained about the money being spent on candy.  They complained about the waste of money on costumes that might only be worn once or twice.  They complained about the pagan background of the holiday… etc, etc, etc.  Some said it was a stupid tradition and had no point.

I completely disagree.

As a child, Halloween was the one day a year where I could be who I wanted to be and not be teased about it.  I was NEVER picked on on Halloween.  It had nothing to do with the candy… the candy was just a perk… and everything to do with being lost in my imagination and having magical things come to life.  It was the best holiday (not counting Christmas of course) for me.  I LIVED off the nice compliments people gave me for the rest of the year!!  Only my mom told me I was pretty on the regular days… but on Halloween everyone told me so as I twirled in my princess outfit or whatever it was I choose to be.

And that, folks, is the reason why I make my kids costumes.  This is THEIR day!  They can embrace the inner nerd without feeling any shame or embarrassment from others!  I want these days to be memorable for them forever!  Give them something to hang on to in those dark days when they are bullied or feel like they aren’t as “cool” as the other kids.

And this week, they did just that!  And they will NEVER forget this one.

Now, I admit, I was a little nervous when they begged to be the Doctor’s this year.  First off, the show isn’t super popular around here.  Only a handful of people even knew who they were supposed to be… I thought it might be disheartening for them if no one knew who they were.  Even a couple people asked Sam if he was a nerd… ekk!  As a mom I worried what he would think of that… but he just smiled and played the Doctor game…

Sam: “No.  I’m the Doctor!”
Random Person who has been deprived of amazingness:  ”Doctor Who?”  hahaha

Then, if you have been reading my posts lately you will have seen that I posted their picture on Twitter and it went crazy!!

Well, crazy to us.  It got re-tweeted about a thousand times… I think I have been re-tweeted only once in the last 5 years, no kidding!  And it got favorited about 4 thousand times… maybe more.

That same day I posted it on Facebook and shared it with a Doctor Who website, but nothing came of it… until yesterday.  They re-posted it and once again it went crazy!  I took a few screen shots of it to save for my boys:

I hid one comment because it had a potty word in it… but it wasn’t rude or negative.  In fact, everyone was so KIND, so nice!!  My boys were absolutely THRILLED at all the sweet comments and support.  We all sat together and read through all the comments.  Nephi said, “Mom, today I am soooo cool!!!”  I said, “Sweetheart, you are cool EVERY day!”

They will never forget this Halloween.  In fact, they are totally pumped that we will be moving somewhere else this next year so they will be able to wear their costumes again for a new audience!!

I just want to end saying thanks.  Thank you to ALL of you out there that made this Halloween SO SPECIAL for my “special” boys.  Really, it means so much to us!

-Cat