Thanks Mom!

Adam went off to school today for one of the year's most beloved activities: "Walk Through Ancient Times". As a sixth grader, Adam has been studying ancient cultures in social studies this year and has learned so much. The sixth graders dress as assigned Greek or Roman personalities and act out their parts.

Adam is Hercules. You probably can't tell that by the costume, but this mom had a kid who had definite ideas about his costume. When you google image "Hercules" for costume ideas, you get either the Disney version, or the "authentic" version: a naked Greek god. Neither version is acceptable for a sixth grade Catholic school kid, so Adam broke out his sketch pad and designed his own costume. We took a quick trip to the fabric store and this was the end result. Hopefully, none of his classmates will look at the seams!

Several times a day, I thank my mom mentally for all of the things she's taught me. One of those things is rudimentary sewing skills. My mom could sew anything, from costumes to prom dresses. She taught me how to thread and operate my sewing machine (which is now a 20+ year old singer on its last legs) and how to follow a pattern. She also taught me how to think creatively and to improvise. I offered to buy Adam a costume, but he was actually really wanting a home made one that met his specifications. I think the most important part for him was the shield and "sword", made of a yard stake and painted to look authentic. He's still in the "stick" phase, where anything he picks up can be used for swashbuckling.

I don't know how many more of these dress up occasions we'll have - probably not too many. So it's fun to make Adam smile with a few yards of fabric, a stick, and some pretty wobbly hems. Thanks Mom, for teaching me that with a little love, a costume can turn out just right!