Halloween

For the last two years my children have been asked to dress as a storybook character for the school's Storybook Parade that they do on Halloween. I know in some families this would mean that we would pour over our favorite books and find the perfect character to bring to life...But in my family it means that my kids come up with random costume requests and then I try to find books with characters who they may vaguely resemble...
...Like a cat (not too hard), or a basilisk lizard. (Thank you Wild Kratts.) Bekah found a children's book called the Adventures of Cattail, and Jacob and I wound up writing a story called "Spiny the Swimming Basilisk Lizard." (Catchy, huh...)
If I were to love my children based on the easiness of their costume, Marianne would come in first because I didn't do anything for her. I just strapped on Beau's old dinosaur tail and she was the talk of the Storybook Parade. (I LOVE this picture of her - she was totally hamming it up!)

Bekah would come in second because I only had to sew a white tummy patch on her black shirt and buy a tail and ears. She loved being a cat, but cats apparently don't smile when they're posing...

Beau would be next because he wanted to be Optimus Prime and I was too cheap to buy the actual costume, so instead I bought sweatpants and a sweatshirt and ironed on red and silver fabric until he looked good enough. I was able to find a cheap Optimus Prime mask that he wore at least once before deciding he doesn't like masks really. I might not have taken a picture of just him! Here he is with our whole group - Jason and Joy's three older kids came with us to the trunk or treat.

And Jacob would be last because I had to turn him into a basilisk lizard! It involved a fair amount of cardboard cereal boxes (for the spines) and some cool fabric - silky snake skin stuff and a green mesh to lay over it - and a hat and a tail. And yes, the base of his costume is camo thermals. I sewed the crotch shut, don't you worry...I drew the line at making him some custom basilisk lizard feet.

 

It was a really fun Halloween, but I'm glad it's over! Now just to get rid of all that candy without consuming it myself...