One of my favorite things about the dojo Halloween party this year is that when the kids voted for the best costume, they didn’t choose someone with anything store bought, they picked a person in a homemade costume, a robot made of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper. When I was a kid, my mom always put our Halloween costumes together herself, a tradition I carried on with my own daughter (which may have led to her later interest in cosplay). I personally feel about costumes the same way I feel about cookies, they’re better homemade.
Speaking of cookies, we accumulated so many sweet treats for the party this year that the kids probably thought they were in sugar heaven. There was a long table filled with many different kinds of cookies, candy, cupcakes, brownies, donuts, etc., and I think I gained five pounds just from inhaling the sugary fumes!
During the party, several people thanked me for helping to run it every year, but it all comes together thanks to the combined work of many dojo teachers, students, and parents, who donate their time and money (and many, many sweet things!). Several volunteers, besides my husband and myself, spent hours just decorating and setting up the haunted obstacle course (which is comprised almost entirely of items from the dojo).
The Captain even made an appearance at the party this year. I welcomed him by attacking with my plastic cutlass, and he responded by disarming me, while confirming that a cutlass was indeed the correct weapon to go with my pirate costume, then he informed me that he has a real cutlass at home. As if he wasn’t scary enough already! Now, where else could something like that happen except for at a dojo Halloween party?
There was a great turnout, and I think the kids had a blast (it wasn’t just due to the sugar, because we didn’t let them have any until the end!). I heard a few people say it was the “best Halloween party ever”, and that’s probably because it was homemade with love, by the dojo family.
Ginger Snaps 