Mary - have you got to do a costume??? When for?????
The one time when I've been asked to do a costume so far, mistlechick was very happy to go as Christopher Robin. So, shorts and checked shirt, with a soft toy Pooh and relevant book - sorted. 
We've been told we've got to have something spotty for them to wear next Friday. Of course, it comes after one of my very rare visits to the shops where I might have been able to find something appropriate (I was going for non-iron school shirts - can you believe that the large, very well known group that begins with M with an ampersand and S at the end has run out, completely, of all sizes between 4 and 11 of long sleeved white (non iron) shirts???)
But another birthday party today, so might have to nip into town at lunch time.
After my ranting about school, MC has had a bit of a better week - whilst he didn't get a sticker yesterday, he got a reasonable comment - although it did say 'I do think that he could be making more effort not to interrupt' which I think is a big 
- he's only 5.5 and he clearly IS trying.... (Very Trying!! )
You can now set him reading in the kitchen whilst doing things and help out with the odd word here and there - with, for instance, the Mr Men books, so I think his reading's coming on OK.
The contract that DH has been told he is going to get, he has also been told that they don't know when they'll get around to sorting the details out. So its back on with a full-scale job hunt again . He could have been working for 2 wks already, so I'm not amused. However, he is getting contacted about other jobs that sound interesting, so that's good. He just needs to secure one of them and get going.