I refuse to put "BOO" in this title
Last year, I decided Crabtot should join the herd and "trick or treat" in costume around the town square. I wanted to rebel a little longer against dressing up small defenseless people for H-ween. But I caved. Still, I was hell-bent on making sure she'd be an original. So she went as a tomato. In a sea of witches, I felt sure a ripe red 2-year-old tomato would announce "I am an individual!" [even if I haven't a clue why I am dressed up as a tomato and had no say in the matter].
I wanted to top that tomato this year. I had original notions. Some were unsavory: a baby bride in toilet-paper gown; a mini-'ho (okay, I'm not serious, but I think a Halloween 'Ho would lend so much more credibility to the hollow "trick" part of the "trick or treat" phrase...) Yes, I had me some clever costume notions. But I also need to be practical and match outfit to her blue snowsuit. October is appallingly cold here in Crabtown and I can't have that tomato bleating again this year.
Luckily I am a genius. So it occurred to me that Crabtot could be a peacock! I love peacocks! How original! And blue too! So I bought feathers on Ebay and visualized the greatness of a Crabmommy-made peacock hat. Blue felt, peacock feathers...perfecto!
Last weekend I attempted the peacock. I went as far as the sewing store parking lot. I had a cold. My head clanged like a gong. I dreaded the costume, actually. I mean, ideas are fun, but follow-through, not so much. Mercifully the store was closed. And then I decided out of sheer self-interest that I needed to stop thinking about myself and think about Crabtot. What she really likes is not peacocks, but witches, (specifically Kiki from the charming DVD Kiki's Delivery Service).
So on Wednesday she will be another witch...in a sea of witches wearing Patagonia beneath their store-bought cloaks.
Let us then enjoy my craftasticness of yesteryear:
I made that tomato hat with these two hands alone, people. Every stitch of that tomato stem, all mine. I refused to be haunted by the fact that I had always failed sewing at school; instead, I marshaled all of my Mommy-determination and dang did it, and it just about killed me.
Indeed, it may well be that Crabtot had the best of Creative&Original Crabmommy Costumery last Halloween—Mom's best effort, for the one Halloween that Crabtot didn't care about and won't remember.
But so what, right? She's got her very own broomstick, and to her that's magic.
Kiki is the cutest witch ever. (Of course, she's Japanese.) If you have to do the witch thing, you can't do any better than that.
You are still an original, Crabmom, even if your daughter is a sheep.
Thanks, tmaiou! You're right, I can get an original witch out of Kiki. She has that nice big red bow in lieu of that same-old black witchy hat. Problem is, Ctot is now claiming she does not wish to be a witch after all. And I am starting to lose my rag already with H-ween. Nonstop activities pervading the week, day in, day out H-weening going on everywhere. Will I last until the actual event? Or should we just skip it? These are the pressing questions of the day.
thanks Crabmom from now on out "trick or treat" will have a whole new connotation, making Halloween even weirder to me that it already is (being a non american and all I am trying my hardest to get into the Halloween thing!).
I served with tomato hat. Tomato hat and I were friends. That, Crabmommy, is one fine tomato hat!
Oh, but that hat is too charming. Personally, I would have it on display year round, for decades to come, an homage to the early determination of a mom. My fingers still throb at the memory of the costume I made for our first daughter, who this year traipsed through the neighborhood in a Target costume. They peppered me with "Did you make it?"questions and with a firm thrust of my chin I said, "Not this year, but you should have seen the costume two years ago."
Bravo on the tomato hat, bravo!
Amanda
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