It is 46 days until Halloween, so we are obviously in deep negotiations with the kids about costumes.  They have been tossing out ideas for weeks now and it is crunch time.  I have two hard and fast rules for our costumes: 1.  I will not make any costumes (I know my limits) and 2.  Nothing scary.

My 6 year old, Matthew, is always trying to get around the last rule.  Last year he wanted to be a skeleton, and he skirted it by picky out the goofiest looking one and being “Funny Bones.”  This year he is on the Grimm Reaper campaign.  I promptly told him, “No way.”  He was completely perplexed when I told him that it was a symbol for Death.  “No,” he told me emphatically, “the Grimm Reaper is a farmer that carries a hoe around!”

When he got home today, he was armed and ready with his arguments to be the Grimm Reaper.  The entire walk around the block, he entertained me with his well thought out, creative story about the baby Grimm Reaper.

You see Mama, I am just a kid, so I wouldn’t be the big Grimm Reaper.  I am the baby Grimm Reaper.  My parents (the big ones) were really tough on me always wanting me to be bad.  But I decided I didn’t want to be bad and I loved God and wanted to help people.  So you see I am not a bad Grimm Reaper, I am a good Grimm Reaper.  I go around and tell people about God’s love and farm wheat.  Everyone likes wheat, right?  I am a Missionary Farmer Reaper.  So instead of saying “Trick or Treat” on Halloween, can I say “Let the light of God be with you?”

Are you kidding me?  Grimm Reaper costume. In. The. BAG.