Friday, October 29, 2010

Dressing Up!


As a toy store owner, I feel kind of lame about how little of the estimated $5.8 Billion Halloween dollars I capture. I mean, it's primarily a kid's holiday right? Maybe it's my bad attitude. Because, I not so secretly feel the best Halloween costumes are the home made kind.
There are trick or treater's that do as little as they have to (sometimes nothing) to run amok and score candy, and then there are the people that I go out to see. These people make their own costumes and their children's costumes, and for them, Halloween is an opportunity to entertain us all, a quiet competition with all the other ghouls and greats that roam the streets All Hallows Eve.
These costumes are not to be confused with "dress up" which is what we call our costumes at hopscotch. Halloween costumes are like (and sometimes include) a corset. Uncomfortable, impractical, and can lead to stumbling and shortness of breath. A child can not conduct imaginary play in most Halloween costumes. Take my son the ding dong for instance. There may be two hula hoops in there, but I can assure you, there will be no frivolous play taking place.
Just as much as I hate cheap big box store bought Halloween costumes, I love selling Dress Up. Especially boys dress up because it is often overlooked, and our little boys LOVE to dress up. They want to be astronauts, knights, superhero's, and in my nephew Paul's case, Captain Underpants. He had his mother shave his head and spent an entire summer in underwear and a red cape. Clever boy. Girls want to dress up like princesses, fairies, and fairy princesses. There is no one place in hopscotch as gender specific as dress up. Good quality dress up is as comfortable as every day attire, it has stretch and comfortable seams. It can be put on and taken off with ease by a four year old. Good quality dress up is the best accessory for that crowning jewel of childhood, the vivid imagination. It should be even more durable than regular clothing because there are some who will put it on every single day, and many who will try to convince their mother's that it should be worn to bed as well. It will be worn on the most grand adventures. Adventures that will often include mud, and the rough bark of trees, dog slobber, and bicycle chains. Yes, durability is a must. But then, that goes for most good dealings with an active childhood.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Fall


Last week I brought my son home from college for the first time since he's been away. When we got out of the car in downtown McMinnville, he inhaled deeply and said "I love how Mac smells. You can always tell what time of year it is." It's so true. In the winter when you walk around town you smell the smoke from wood stoves, rain, and the earthy decay of leaves. In spring, the grass, lilac, and still the rain, but lighter, cleaner. In summer the heat of the day brings the scent of hay being cut and ripe fruit, and when it rains, the mix of all that with dust and welcome cleansing. Now, with fall comes crush and fermenting fruit, the sweet scent of dry leaves falling, and the chill dank of mildew seeping in around the edges. Here at hopscotch the signs are clear also. Leaves blow in through the open door, soccer cleats muddy the floor, and board games, and craft kits reign supreme. I love seeing the supplies for family times indoors going home with my customers. Of course we have the hot items that seem to disappear before I can finish receiving them. Bananagrams, the hemp bracelets book, legos and potholders craft sets come to mind. The ones I really love to sell though, are the sleepers. Pattern blocks, marble runs, and chess just sit around the store unless I almost force my families to "please, trust me!" These were in the category that I called "child traps" in my household. I would just leave them out and an entire morning would be gone building, creating, listening to books on tape and just being together. So, though it makes me sad to see the days growing shorter, I do enjoy the slower pace and indoor activities that the chill weather brings about, and I especially love the anticipation I see in my families as they pick up supplies for their own cozy hibernation's.