I have a new church calling: Activities Committee. This is one of my favorite callings. (Although, not the dream calling I was lobbying my husband for: Employment Specialist! I would love that calling because it would allow me to play office all the time, even at church.) It’s weird that I like to be on the Activities Committee so much considering how much I hate ward activities. I guess this lets me control the parts I hate the most. Here are some of my firmly-held beliefs:
A “trunk or treat” should NEVER take the place of a full-on good-old Halloween Carnival.
Gross bagged salad should never be served. I’d rather have no salad.
Pot luck means tough luck.
Women should cook and men should set up chairs. Or, vice versa.
Every dime of the Activities Committee should be spent by the end of the year.
Catering is not against our religion. (I just learned that from my co-committee chair.)
Publicity is 50%. Decorating is the other 50%.
Mormon celebrities should always perform for wards free. This helps wards out and earns celebrities a mansion in Heaven. Win/win.
Our first activity is the Halloween Carnival. One member of the bishopric requested that we tone own the ghosts and goblins and non-gospel elements of the party. I agreed and assured him we would focus exclusively on the devil. But really we will probably focus on pumpkins and corn stalks for the old-timey goodness. Plus–hot chocolate bar! Pray for a nip in the air.We are also serving warm cider. I know, blek–right? Here’s the other thing I learned from my Activities Committee co-chair: Serve warm apple cider with caramel on the side. I know, right?
So I’m going through the quandary I face every year: Let my kids be what they want for Halloween or force them to dress up in a theme costume with me. I decided to let them do what they want. Here’s what has been decided so far.
Ben wants to be Danger Mouse. This is an awesome idea. 
Maggie will be Coraline. When we saw this movie on opening day, I knew one of us would dress up as her for Halloween.
Sam came up with this idea for himself and Christian. Pretty clever. And pretty easy. 
I don’t know what Ellen and I will be yet. Maybe we could both be Spock? She’s at the age where I think I can manipulate her costume but maybe at the last minute I’ll be lucky to sneak a Wiggles name tag on her and call it good a la Ben circa 2005. I’ll keep you posted.
You take a risk allowing costumes at a ward party–believe me I know. Sometimes people can be inappropriate al la the “Aunt Jemima” at my ward party circa 2006. And you know how LDS women love to dress up as sexy witches. Sighhhhhhhhhh.
But it’s worth it.
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