Yes. Jorge is wearing a costume. One boy and three girls and it is the boy who is picky about what he wears. Every year he wants to go trick-or-treating, but every year it's an ordeal to select a costume he doesn't feel "silly" wearing. Last year we settled on Charlie and Lola (semi-obscure children's book) for he and the Cuddle Bear, and of course no one knew what they were. But I struck gold this year- I discovered that Buddy will dress up as anything if Jorge is part of the costume. Our first plan was Jorge as a lobster and Buddy as a chef (carrying Jorge around in a large blanketed pot), but T@rget was out of lobsters. Hence the sheriff and outlaw duo. Jorge's costume is far more hilarious in real life than in the picture. You'll have to trust me. And really, isn't he about the handsomest boy you've ever seen? I'm not supposed to say that, though. I get punched in the leg.
Anyway. The point. The point is Princess, there. Historically costume discussions have been pretty predictable. Every year she's been a princess, a fairy, a dance, a princess-fairy, a fairy-dancer or a princess-dancer. This year started out as no exception, and suddenly she cried out, "NO! I want to be PINKALICOUS!!!"
For those of you that have only boys and/or expose your children only to high-quality literature, this is Pinkalicious:
Obviously. What's not to like? Anyway. The point is that this is the first truly creative idea Princess has come up with. So Pinkalicious it was.
But there was an even bigger deal. Trick-or-treating seems to be challenging for a lot of families in our situation, although I don't know that anyone's pinned down exactly why. I've been finding myself lately more in tune to Princess's behavior linking to fear. At one point in our trek Princess, seemingly randomly, yelled at Peanut for "making her shoes come off," and stomped her feet around. However, me and my stealth eye had just noticed a particularly scary-masked, black-hooded figure pass, so I said, "some of those costumes look pretty scary, don't they? It makes a feeling inside you, kind of like "mad." That feeling is called "scared," and if you feel "scared," you can come hold my hand.
And she did.
I'm sure people wondered why my seven-year-old needed her mom to walk her up and could barely mutter "thank-you," before turning and bolting, but I don't care.
She needed her mom to walk her up.
Oh yeah, I know Pinkalicious. And her friend Purplicious. And their horse, Goldilicious!
ReplyDeleteI noticed Genea shutting down and being overall strange on Halloween too. In all her years with us this has happened. So The Husband and I were discussing it, wondering maybe if something traumatic had happened. Possibly everyone in a mask freaked her out because she could not be sure who was in them. But I think the issue is that she WANTS desperately to go out and participate but she is scared as hell to do it. Going to new houses, talking to new people, wearing a new costume, new new new and we no likely new. Anyway, that's what I came up with for Genea. YMMV!!!
I think you hit the nail on the head, Essie.
ReplyDeleteNow if only it didn't come along with a pe.e resurgence. Or Goldalicious.