Making the Sleepless Nights Worth It, One Candy Bar at a Time

This is why you have children. And keep them, even though you didn't get more than 43 minutes of sleep cumulative during their first year of life. Not only are they cute all dressed up, but they bring you home piles of candy. (And eventually they go to bed and stop telling you which ones you can't have.)

Megan originally wanted to be an angel, and I was cool with that, but when I got to the fabric store, I got a headache from trying to choose a pattern...and fabrics...and then thinking about sewing it. So I went home, pulled out the Halloween box, and geared myself up for the arduous process of talking Meg into being a witch instead (Emma's costume from 2006). I barely had part of the hat out of the box, and was saying, "How about instead..." and she said, "Ok! I'll be a witch!" Easier than it should have been, but I ain't complaining. Not two minutes later, she asked, "And do I get to wear a wig?" Honey, you just saved me from countless hours of sewing/cussing (they are one and the same for me), you can wear anything on your head that you want!

She also liked getting to wear lipstick. Fancy!

Emma originally wanted to be a mobster, like Jake, but again my inability to wrap my head around how to make that happen led me to the dress-up box and Jessica's costume from 2006. It was again a lot easier than it could have been. The thing that sealed the deal was the same thing that convinced Jess to go along with this costume option--the magic words: "I'll let you wear make-up."

This was, however, a tactical error on Emma's part. Now that we know what she looks like in make-up, it will never happen for her in real life. And she's likely to spend the rest of her formative years locked in her room.

Seriously! Who looks good in purple eyeshadow?!? Apparently Emma.

And she owes her Grandpa Lewis a thank you note pronto for passing on the genetics behind those eyelashes.

Jacob took some time settling on a costume, but when he did, he put it together himself really quickly. All I had to do was get him a hat. Thank you for making my life easier, Jake.

I think this was his favorite part:

And Sam. Oh Sam. This poor child has no recollection whatsoever of anything Halloween, so any discussion of the holiday only led to fits. Any and all suggestions for costumes were met with the scream, "I be NOTHING for Halloween!" Even the purchase of a Lightning McQueen treat bucket and the promise of lots of candy did nothing (nor did the threat of no costume = no candy)(who's kid is he, anyway? sooooo not mine). And then last week he told me that he wanted to be his daddy. Hallelujah that worked. (Also hallelujah that my friend across the street already had the uniform, so I didn't have to go buy one!)(Though I would have, and happily, just because he had finally agreed to something!)

So here is Captain Lewis in miniature:

And no, the boy never holds still. In that second picture there, he's saluting, in case you can't tell. Which, I totally couldn't. Jake had to tell me that's what it was. He's also saying "Sir, Yes, Sir!" According to Jake, the salute was Sam's idea, but he taught Sam to say that.

And now Jessica. The thing that kicked this whole costume off was the gift (after hearing that Jess wanted to be an 80s chick) of authentic. electric blue. spandex. stirrup pants from my friend Holly's vintage clothing and accessories shop on Etsy. And then it just snowballed. I may have had a little too much fun with it.

Yes, that hair is all hers. And no, I never wore it like that. I will admit to having some, er, height to my bangs, but I never did succumb to the width.

 

Copping a little 80s attitude. The only discernible difference between that and the '09 attitude is the hair. And the pants. Also the eyeshadow.

 

You should know that the bow came from the underskirt of a Belle costume that I stole out of the dress-up box. I needed something to keep Jess from being overtaken by the hair, and it was a stroke of pure genius. 

 

And here they are all together:

 

You knew Lightning would make an appearance at some point, right?)

Happy Halloween!