My Halloween Obsession

I love dressing up for Halloween.

I mean it.  I really LOOOOOOOOOVE dressing up for Halloween. 

When I was a kid, my mom would let me come up with whatever I wanted to be, no matter how crazy or difficult to make, and that's exactly what I'd be.  She'd let me creative visions guide our work, even if how I wanted to make the costume wasn't necessarily the best way.  I dressed up as almost every character imaginable. 

Strawberry Shortcake
A China Doll
Minnie Mouse
Scarlet O'Hara
The Ace of Hearts
Nancy Kerrigan
Crew Member from the Starship Enterprise

That's just the short list.  There are tons of other costumes.  Those are just the most memorable.  We spent hours at the local walmart or the hardware store or wherever had the crazy part we were looking for.  It was super fun and super memorable.

I am determined to do the same thing with my kids.  On Curly's first Halloween in 2007, I made this costume for her with no pattern.

In 2008, I bought this in Montgomery for her in February.

In 2009, I spent HOURS working on these costumes.  At age 2, she picked Snow White from the pattern catalog at the craft store.  Buddy's was put together from scratch.



Last year, she wanted to be a ballerina and he was in love with Bob the Tomato.



This year, she wants to be Tinkerbell.  He still isn't expressing a preference, so I figure this is the last year I will get to make them into a matching set.  He's going as Captain Hook. 

I had some elaborate plans for Curly's Tinkerbell costume, but Handsome pointed out to me that authenticity was probably more important to me than to her.  So we found a really sweet Tinkerbell costume at the local thrift store for $2.  Buddy's costume has been the time consuming one this year. 

They will make their debut on Wednesday at our church's Trunk or Treat event.  Pictures to come. 

The Great Food Lion Ice Cream Show Down

I had one of those mommy moments today.  The kind you know are coming, but really don't want to face.  My daughter tested my will power in public. 

She's done it before, but it's been quite a while.  She and Buddy are usually very well behaved when we're out and about.  So much so, that sometimes I pretend I have perfect children.

It all started when Curly started talking about ice cream on the way home from my parents' house.  We'd been there for a brief visit, and she and Buddy had been really sweet and pretty well behaved.  We had to stop at Food Lion to pick up a couple of odds and ends.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, Curly asked where the ice cream truck was.  I told her it wasn't there, but they had ice cream inside.  She asked if we could buy some, and I said sure, since they had been so sweet this morning. 

We got in the store and they both immediately ran for the dreaded "mini carts." You know, the miniature version of the real cart that some stores have for children.  When I only have one child with me, the "mini-cart" is managable. With both of them with me, the mini-carts become tiny missiles, endangering any ankle that might dare get in their path, as my children run crazily up the aisles with me shouting their names in vain behind them. 

We'd had a very uneventful run through the aisles by the time we got to the ice cream.   Curly had asked me where the ice cream was approximately 4,327 times.  Buddy hadn't assaulted anyone with his mini-cart.  It was at this moment that they both decided make a b-line for a display of wind chimes.  (Smart idea Food Lion, place a display of wind chimes exactly at toddler/preschooler height level.  Colossal FAIL!) 

As I calmly called them both back, I told Curly that if she needed to come pick out her ice cream.

No response, except the loud banging of every wind chime they had hanging there.

I said the same thing again.

Same response.

Then I stepped it up to no ice cream if they both didn't come back right this minute.

Same loud banging.

I finally marched myself over, grabbed them both by the arm and placed them back in the main aisle, skipping the ice cream completely, and scolding them for wondering off and disobeying mommy.  Buddy was unphased.  Suddenly, Curly realized we were headed for the check out, but without ice cream.

She gasped.  "Mommy!!  WE FORGOT THE ICE CREAM!"  I calmly explained that she'd made her choice not to listen to mommy so no ice cream. This is when the meltdown started.

She immediately turned on the waterworks, whining loudly, "But Mommy, you said we could get some ice cream!!"  I explained about her choice again.  She continued to scream and cry, very loudly.  I then told her that if she didn't stop her fit, I'd call the Easter Bunny and tell him not to come. 

Yes.  I went there.

She let out a loud "Nooooooo!!"  By this time every eyeball in a 30 ft radius was staring in our direction.  One of those moments you want to dive under the nearest display.  I quietly told her to stop screaming and crying.  This time, she obliged.  She let out a few loud sniffs, but we made it to the check out and back to the van (in the rain) without further incident. 

It was one of those moments I just wanted to go back and grab the ice cream, just so she'd quit screaming and people would quit boring holes in my back with their eyes and thinking "what a horrible mom."  But then it would set a precident.  Curly would think "All I have to do is throw a fit, and then I'll get my way!"  Her "monkey-see, monkey-do" brother would get the same idea.  We can't have that or life would be intolerable with my kids! 

So I had that moment.  I threatened to cancel the Easter Bunny.  I was that mom.  Hopefully, in the long run, it will do her good.

A Doll Named Nekkid

Curly doesn't like to name her dolls much.  She's has lots, and only a few get actual names.  Most of them are just called what they are.  She has a My Little Pony baby unicorn that came with the name Sweetie Bell.  It even speaks and calls itself Sweetie Bell.  Curly still insists on calling it Unicorn.  She does have a Target rip-off American Girl doll she named Sally and a large doll that my Granny made for me when I was little that we call Rose, because I named her that when I was a child.  The rest of her dolls are just called Baby or Dolly or whatever brand name they came with.

Today, she came up with a new name for one of her dolls. 

Nekkid.

Not Naked, with a long A sound, but Nekkid, pronounced just like it looks.  It's a Barbie doll in a bikini that she got for her birthday last month.  She had been watching Toy Story 3 with her brother, and abruptly stopped watching it to go have a tea party with her dolls.  She spread out napkins for her Princess Barbie doll, her Disney Princess Ariel doll, one of her baby dolls, and her bikini-clad Barbie.  She came running back in to the kitchen and told me to come join her tea party.  I walked in the room and she said, "Mommy, you sit next to Nekkid."  "Who?"  I replied.  "My doll, Nekkid."  "Why is she named Nekkid?"  I asked.  "She just is," was the reply. 

So apparently, we now have a new doll resident in our house named Nekkid.  I just can't wait until she's playing with friends and says, "Mommy, where's Nekkid?" or "I wanna play with Nekkid" or "I want Nekkid."  Oh, goods times!