Some of my best memories with my boys were dressing up for playacting. We’d dig through the large plastic bin filled with past Halloween costumes, scarves, hats, uniforms, and props. As the years went by the bin got fuller while the favorite costumes got smaller.

Some days they were ninjas performing their best karate moves or knights riding off to a tournament or realistic soccer players reenacting their best moves.

We wrote plays and they performed them for me and Luke. When their cousins and friends were over, the plays became longer and the costumes more elaborate. They could be whoever and whatever they wanted—it didn’t matter as long as they had fun.

One day we noticed white handprints on the hallway door. 5-year-old Stephen had attempted to climb like his favorite neighborhood Spiderman. He wore the costume, put his imagination to work, and we were quite impressed by his technique!

Nick got involved in theater more so than Stephen who worked behind the scenes in lighting for his 5th grade play.

Nick’s debut was telling jokes dressed as a cowboy at his kindergarten talent show. The following year, he created a puppet named Jokey who joined in on the punchline. Nick starred in his 4th and 5th grade plays and the crowd cheered when he adlibbed.

My boys learned early on that their dreams were only as limited as their imagination

and a costume could be made out of anything.