Halloween (I know, it's almost Thanksgiving!)

This blog is inspired by my friend's post for Halloween on her blog The Red Humor.  Of course, she posted it right before Halloween, which is far more interesting and appropriate, but at least I made it in before Thanksgiving.  Here's Abigail's Halloween journey thus far.  

The first year (2010) our Hallo-wiener spent approximately 8 minutes in her outfit.  

Some happy smiles

Some moments of NOT being amused.

The second year (2011) I was very aware of how simple the costume needed to be for me to actually get her into it.  She wore it three times--once for 10 minutes at a family party where we barely snapped a photo of all the little angels together; then for a Halloween daytime play group (one of our very first times meeting some of her current friends); and for an hour or two in the evening on Halloween.  She went to three neighbors' doors and asked for hugs and kisses instead of candy.

Domino crossing

But her favorite part was handing out candy to other kids and tasting the outside of wrappers.  

This is how it's supposed to work, right?

This year Abigail was in full Halloween obsession mode.  There was a small pumpkin patch a few blocks from our house with jumping houses, petting zoo, and a witch that spoke when you touched her.  Abigail couldn't get enough of this place and we spent $3 after nap time for about a week just to bounce around and laugh hysterically at the witch when her head lowered down and she cackled.  She also visited the lawns of well decorated houses every evening to look at blown-up ghosts and a clown that took its own head off.

She and Jake call all witches Glenda

She knew about 2 months before Halloween that she wanted to be Sleeping Beauty.  No waffling.  No doubts.  She saw a catalog with a little girl in a pink dress and was absolutely set on it.  I was slightly disappointed.  I had hoped to make her into a tractor, with a box and suspenders, something I could make and paint, with some sort of scoop hanging off the front.  I was open to making her a princess driving a tractor - that would have been cool too.  But she knew what she wanted, so I accepted that it was her decision.  I did, however, determine that I was still going to make her costume.  My family always made Halloween costumes, and that's my very favorite memory of the holiday.  The creativity involved, from the choice of costume to the materials used to make it, were all part of the fun.  While my favorite costume memories were inanimate objects (bag of groceries, bar of soap, drop of water), I thought that a toddler princess dress was probably not beyond my skill level.  I would not attempt this on full scale!  

Getting ready for the rockin' Halloween block party

Halloween party at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Riverside

The real deal--Halloween night

What's this, mama?

Her first M&M

I want to get diiiizy, mama

The perfect pair

As you can see, Abigail has worn this costume, and worn it and worn it.  I have already mended it three times.  Not pictured are a play group party, music class, AND Halloween lunch at school to which all the kids wore costumes.  She literally wore this dress every single day for some reason or other from the Friday before Halloween through the actual holiday on Wednesday.  I have to admit, I was very done with Halloween by the time it actually arrived.  But she loved every minute of it, and I'm so glad that I made her costume.  A few times since then she has decided "I want to be a princess", and this mommy is much happier to oblige when I think of the 20+ hours it took me to make a simple dress that probably would have taken a real seamstress 3 hours to complete.  This Halloween was a big one for my little girl.  She won't forget it soon, and I know she will love it again next year!