Trick or Treat!

Boy, Halloween starts early around here! Which I can really get behind, as someone who insists on making the costumes for the kids. Because otherwise, what have you got? All that effort for something worn for an hour or two one night? Lame.

But, yes, Halloween started this weekend as we made our glorious debut at the annual Boo at the Zoo. It was awesome enough that we went both days! Now that's the kind of costume-money's-worth I'm talking about.



Jakey was a blue stegosaurus - aka blue sewn-together sweats with felt triangles sewn on the back. My theory for tiny tot costumes is three-fold: 1) it has to be something warm, 2) it has be comfortable, and its elements must be ignorable by the wearer, and 3) tiny tots are cute in and of themselves, so whatever you cobble together will add to the cuteness. So no need to torture anyone. I felt terrible for an 18 month old I saw today in full-on Captain Jack Sparrow regalia. With a tricorn hat. To which dreadlocks were attached. Who was screaming bloody murder at having to wear this thing. Seriously, relax, people, there's plenty of time for that...

... like say when the kid is about to turn 5 and is totally psyched to have the full costume get-up. Presenting the Dread Pirate Captain Lara!



Complete with felt admiral's hat, cardboard cutlass with wire-wrapped handle, cardboard belt buckle, and the most fearsome scowl this side of the Seven Seas. Not to toot my own horn, but this costume rocks. Plus Lara and I made the cutlass together, and we even drew a pirate treasure map (complete with burned edges and coffee-dyed old-timey appearance). Lara also requested a parrot, a peg leg, a hook hand, and an eye patch, but those were vetoed for safety and feasibility reasons. We decided that she is portraying an early-career pirate, who has yet to lose various body parts, and who is still training her pet bird to sit calmly on her shoulder.