Sunday, November 01, 2009

When I was a kid, I always dressed up for Halloween in a fairly standard costume. I recall being a cowboy, a robot, a couple of ghosts, and random costumes from the drugstore where you'd have a picture on your chest of the character you were trying to be. I really didn't care that much who I dressed up as, as long it passed muster with the folks who passed out candy.

My daughter has a completely different outlook on Halloween. Maybe it's because she's allergic to most of the candy she accrues, or maybe it's because trick-or-treating comes with a sizable dose of scares, but her favorite thing about Halloween is the costume. She spends months contemplating various personas, scrutinizing images on the web, and debating make-vs-buy with her mother. Invariably Daisy chooses some completely unrecognizable character.

Last year she was Lyra from the Golden Compass. The year before that, I think she was a character named Magenta from the movie Sky High. Before that, she was a superhero she had made up called Lighta, whose powers probably included the ability to be both a particle and a wave. The only other one I remember was Spirograph girl, whose powers were, uh, swirly patterns?

The only common thread here is that all of these costumes have been completely baffling to everyone she encounters. Of course the only common thread from my childhood costumes was the lack of imagination, so I mock gingerly here.

This year? I'll just note the conversation I had with my coworker, Ashton:

Ashton: So, what's Daisy going to be for Halloween this year?
Me: She's dressing up as Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Ashton: (brow furrowed) Who?
Me: Laura Ingalls Wilder is the author of Little House on the Prairie.
Ashton: So, Daisy is dressing up as an author?

Yep. That's my daughter.

On a nearly unrelated note, I've been busy using my hell-spawn zucchinis as pumpkin extremities. At work we had a pumpkin carving contest and I managed to stuff a couple in there, and then Daisy let me cram another zucchini into her pumpkin's nose. While zucchinis are terrible eats, they do reach the lofty heights of mediocrity as pumpkin carving props. (Also note clever usage of pumpkin seeds as teeth).

4 comments:

Ms.PhD said...

what are you talking about, zucchinis are terrible eats?? zucchinis are very good eats! Send me your extra zucchinis if you're just going to waste them as pumpkin-noses! sheesh!

having said that, your daughter is a child after my own heart. hooray for authorific halloween.

Mike said...

I think I was very clear on the subject. Not only do zucchinis taste terrible, but there doesn't appear to be any preparation which fixes them (unlike brussels sprouts).

hello@jillianmoffett.com said...

Wow, Mike that is the most brilliant use of squash to make the best Halloween pumkin ever! And who made that super cool license plate USA map?

Mike said...

Hey Jillian! You should come by our office some time and see that license plate map in person. It really is cool and there's a bunch of other excellent art. Come by for lunch!