Halloween was not a big holiday in my home growing up, last minute costumes were worn to church functions and candy was the most important goal. After I got married it became even less important, one year I went shopping at the mall for a new suit and we made sure to keep the house dark to keep from attracting the odd trick-or-treater.
It's a BIG deal now. The beginning and end of Halloween for me? My kids have to have the perfect costumes. Thanks to a costume contest at our church it is my general obsession from the first day of October. Ah, healthy competition brings my creative juices like nothing else. My poor daughters are forbidden from being "princesses" which is always their first instinct.
"What are we going to be for Halloween this year?"
"A princess!" shouted with genuine cheer.
"Well...all the other girls will be princesses." We must first kill this banal instinct, then nurture my choice for costume. Last year I put all my contest eggs in one basket, the four year old. She was given a genuine antique kimono when she was born. Finally it fits her.
"Let's go upstairs and look at your Japanese princess costume." This was the beginning of my plan to flatter and convince my four year into something she wasn't interested in. It worked and she looked amazing, but alas a little scarecrow girl won and I had to admit she deserved it. Her costume was homemade, creative and impeccable.
I had high hopes this year: one homemade green velvet Scarlett O'Hara, one homemade Strawberry Shortcake complete with giant straw hat and one prepurchased Darth Vader for the 10 month old, too cute. But alas my life is way too busy (and sick) this year I'm just gonna have to let go and let the kids have all the fun.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Halloween is for the kids, too
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2 comments:
I have one that wants to be a ninja and one that wants to be a robot...
hilarious! thank you for admitting that it's about us parents, too (.......even mostly!)
as our two--dash and violet from the incredibles--were running to each new door collecting their booty, i said to my husband, "this isn't about them, it's about us being able to say 'ah, aren't they CUTE' to each other every time they come running down the sidewalk to us and every time another houseowner shouts out to us with a compliment!
...and i wish i could have seen scarlett, strawberry, and darth. i'm sure they were AMAZING!
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