I had this whole costume for Maggie all worked out -- I've spent the last two months piecing together a little outfit so that Maggie could be Olivia the Pig, a literary character with whom I have a love affair spanning years. However, yesterday Maggie informed me that she would not be dressing up as Olivia, and that she needed a crown so that she could be a fairy princess, instead. (The dress she already had.) So this morning, I spent my precious time and energy elbowing eager candy shoppers out of the way at Target, so that I could procure a crown for my amazonian fairy princess. It was totally worth it. Look how sassy she thinks she is.Max has been indoctrinated with a love of The Justice League by his father, and his plan is to work his way through each of the characters, one for every Halloween, until he has been each of the members of the league in turn. Depending on whether you count some of the lesser known, somewhat extraneous characters, he could be well into his twenties by the time he completes this goal. This year he is the Green Lantern. The best part of his costume is the Green Lantern Ring, which you cannot see in this picture, so you will have to take my word for it. It is a gigantic, very sparkly, very gaudy costume emerald ring, on which I painted the green lantern symbol with gold paint. He looks like Zsa Zsa Gabore in a superhero suit. Good times.
When I was little, I lived in Canada, and many a delicate and fanciful costume was ruined by the need to throw on a winter coat over top before trick or treating. Here in California, the opposite problem stands between us and costume greatness: it was seventy-one degrees today, and while Maggie's gown could be made weather-appropriate through the addition or subtraction of tights and an airy, lacy shawl, The Green Lantern had some sweaty armpits in his all-black crime-fighting ensemble. Like the hero he is, however, he did not let it slow him down, and evil-doers and pumpkin guts alike were cowed by his sparkly, shiny ring of power.
