Who Do You Want To Be Today?

It's that time of year when kids (and adults) start thinking about what they want to be for Halloween, the one night of the year when you don't strictly have to be yourself.  Or you can be part of yourself that you normally hide.  Or something.

My kids have been thinking about this for a couple of months.  Oldest wants to be a movie star but also wants to make her outfit from Duck Tape so we're having a little difficulty with the design.  The trouble with Generic Movie Star is she doesn't want people to think she's a princess (she's waaaaay too old for that, you see).  I suggested that she carry an Oscar but she thinks it looks too much like a scepter so we're still working on it.  Middle wants to be a devil, a departure from the angel she's been for the last three years.  I'm just thrilled she wants to be something that doesn't involve wings again because keeping those things clean and sparkly till the big night is always a nightmare.  She wants to try them out; the dog wants to eat them.  Youngest tends to be the easiest.  Last year he was a cat so he wore black longjohns, a hat with cat ears and a black sock stuffed with cotton batting pinned to his butt.  This year he thinks he wants to be a ghost.  Or a robot.  Or a cowboy.  He'll get back to me.

Down the street from us a couple of brothers will go as a set of something:  one year they were a fireman and a dalmatian; last year they were Buzz Lightyear and Woody.  I've tried to convince my kids to do something like that but they've never gone for it.  Youngest would want them to all be Transformers; Middle would want her siblings to be her devilish minions; Oldest just rolls her eyes.  The most controversial costume in the house this year is the dog's.  They want to smear fake blood on his muzzle.  It's hard to convince them that no one's going to see it after dark, first of all, and that as a German Shorthaired Pointer (voted The Breed MOST!EXCITED!TO!MEET!YOU!!!!! in the Dog Yearbook) he really should be heavily sedated and in his crate rather than out knocking down little kids and running off with their candy.  Or maybe that's me. 

In any case, we're working on costumes today.  If you see someone stocking up on zebra print Duck Tape in your local craft store with a couple of bickering kids in tow, think of me.  Today's song, "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, is what it's all about.  Danny Elfman composed the soundtracks to The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride and a clever vidder put it all together.  Have a great day.