Matching family costumes are my jam. They are my absolute favorite part of Halloween. Even above stealing my children’s candy. After all, I can buy candy to eat in secret any time of the year.
Last year, the kids were mummies & my husband & I were Rick O’Connell & Evelyn Carnahan. The year before that the kids were skeletons & we were archeologists. The year before that the kids were a black cat, a bat, and a black widow, and we were a vampire & witch. The year before that we did a construction crew. I look forward to it all year.
That being said, my kids are getting older and have been developing strong opinions on what they want to be…and they don’t all match.
Back in July, they had all agreed to Magic School Bus theme with Mama Miss Frizzle, Dada Director, and three school kids – Arnold, Phoebe, & Dorothy Ann.
That pipe dream lasted a month before they declared they’d changed their minds to a ninja & two ballerinas – both costumes we have but clearly not in a theme. We went back to the drawing board with lots of little arguments, and even more outrageous suggestions (I refuse to buy 5 inflatable ride on dinosaur costumes, y’all; I am not that fun of a mom).
Next, my eldest suggested being a pirate, and the girls agreed to mermaids or tinker belle; fine, Mama could be Wendy & try her best to convince Dada to be Peter Pan.
This morning, the girls declared they don’t want either of those options and “need to think about it”.
At this rate, we will be going as a frustrated mom, a happily oblivious dad, and three kids from the 90s in homemade, last minute costumes.
Wish me luck…& sanity if you have some to spare.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: I know I should let them pick whatever they want. I will openly admit I’m not ready for them to grow up. It is what it is. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
