A Word About Halloween

So we allowed Brita to step over to the dark side for Halloween this year with a "fallen angel" costume. It was the only costume she liked and I wasn't going to drive to another store. I admit that I am a lazy mother. What other kind of mother would allow the likes of such a costume for their innocent, pure 10-year-old beauty? I was appalled by how sexy it was. Without the two of us even discussing it, she knew she would wear leggings and a long-sleeved shirt underneath. But still. Then later she asked me if she could just wear the dress to school sometimes, keeping the leggings and shirt underneath of course. NO! And into the costume box it went (later to be secretly disposed of by one lazy mother).

Leah has known for months that she wanted to be a vampiress. She's easy-going enough that I knew I could pick up the costume at Target and she'd love it. And of course she did. Her favorite part of the costume was the fangs she painted on herself.

Meg's costume was so much fun this year. A couple months ago I mentioned to the girls that they needed to be thinking about their Halloween costumes, and while they were throwing out their preferences Meg piped in and said, "I'm a horse! Remember?!" And she danced around the room because the thought of being a horse demanded more expression than standing or sitting composedly.

And then I realized that Meg doesn't know yet that costumes can change from year to year. And then I danced around the room because the thought of having one less costume to deal with meant I'd be a little less bonkers this Halloween and the joy overtook me.

But Leah wasn't okay with the same old costume for Meg as last year. So the two of them decided she'd be a cowgirl on a horse and since Meg was feeling shy about saying "Trick-or-treat" she could take off her hat and say "Yee-haw!" instead, which she did. Meg also emerged from the face-painting room just minutes before the trick-or-treating was to begin with "I love horses" painted on her face and a picture of something else on the other cheek (I think it's a horse but the jury's still out on that one).

I hate coming up with Halloween costumes, but this year we started early enough that it wasn't so bad. I'm going to start early again next year and cross my fingers that Leah will be able to devise a creative use of a much-too-small horse costume for her little sis. And I can only hope the shiny pink belt and face painting are staples for many Halloween's to come.