PunditGirl can’t get enough of Halloween. So many choices, so few opportunities for a costume change.
Every year since PunditGirl was two, Halloween has been something that she craves.
She talks about it. She thinks about it. She worries about it. In her mind, you just cannot put enough thought into selecting just the right alternate personality. It’s something she really does think about. All. Year. Long.
And it’s not about the candy — it’s about the costumes. What to be, what to be? The options can be overwhelming for the mind of a seven-year-old.
In the past, she’s been fuzzy animals or princesses. But this year, a tiny bit of her wants to embrace the scary part of Halloween that’s always been difficult for her. So she decided she wanted to be a pirate. A scary pirate. She was very clear about that — we needed the eye patch and the sword, because there’s not going to be any friendly pirate stuff going on in our neighborhood this year.
It was all settled. I had wisely left the tags on the outfit until she was AB-SO-LUTE-LY sure this was the costume she wanted. I was quite pleased with myself that we had navigated the treacherous waters of costume selection with such ease.
Then we took a little family trip to Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate my birthday.
That’s when the wheels came off the carefully calibrated Halloween costume plan.
Because when you’re seven and you go to Colonial Williamsburg, you get to dress up like this:
You can see where this is going, right?
Now while the hat is not my idea of haute couture, it was de rigueur in the late 1700s. (I can only guess what Tim Gunn would have to say about it today.) PunditGirl was all over it and promptly wanted to change her mind about this year’s All Hallow’s Eve selection.
We could have given in, but we decided to stand firm. She had decided and helped select the Pirate Girl outfit, so she’d just have to wait until next year to don the colonial bonnet. For the moment, we’re hanging tough on this lesson in decision making.
But PunditGirl is a wily one. I know she hasn’t given up yet.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:26 am
A pirate is so much cooler than a colonial girl, anyway.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I agree. Pirates rock. Colonial girls are wimpy.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I love Williamsburg – it makes us ALL want to dress up like that, no? (Okay, no.)
October 17th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I am SUCH a softie about dress-up for my kids. Maybe b/c they love it and it means Well Occupied (e.g., no death or destruction) for about 20 minutes.
But mine get excited about Halloween.
Haven’t settled the costume yet though!
Pirate is cool but oooh so is Colonial Girl (but I bet she’d get called American Doll Girl).
October 17th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
My dd was a pirate a couple of years ago and she was soooo into it.
Actually don’t be surprised if next year you remind her about the colonial dress and she’ll say “Mommy that is so last year. I want to be …. this year.”
Usually what my dd decides to be the next year ends up totally being something else!
October 17th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Pirate girls are cool.. Maybe she can have a colonial birthday party? They can make butter in a zip-lock, and she get’s her outfit. I am not sure if that is cool enough for a girls party?
October 17th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Ugh! My comment just got lost. What I was going to say is that I saw a ton of girl pirate costumes at Disney World this past week. My older son is the opposite of PunditGirl and doesn’t understand why he has to wear a costume to get candy on Halloween. This year he’s going with pirate Mickey Mouse ears.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:17 am
Don’t back down, PM!
She is 7, you can take her!
I think you were right to stick to your guns about the costume choice.
Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite places in the world… we were there just the week end before you visited, and had a great time!
October 18th, 2007 at 10:04 am
sit is good to stick with your guns, but I have to say, the colonial williamsburg thing is cool, and ties into something you did this year, therefore great memories, and she can be a pirate for the rest of her life, but how often will she want to don a bonnet? I would probably melt and let her go colonial.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am
H&H are going to be pirates. Of course, they don’t get to pick out their own costumes yet! Still, pirates are very cool.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:48 am
I don’t blame you, the pirate is way cool and it is a principle thing too (but for me it would be more about the coolness). This is where I feel lucky, as my two year old still has no clue. She doesn’t even know about the candy either.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Stick to your guns! A girl scary pirate is a much cooler costume for Halloween. But I agree…colonial girl is just too cute. It doesn’t totally fit historically, but maybe she can be colonial girl for Thanksgiving!!
October 18th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Yeah, I hear ya. My girls started talking about what they wanted to be for Halloween, way back in April…and changed their minds over and over again. I finally got on the internet and had them online shop with me and said “are you SURE you want that one?” and showed them the click of the button. I have since hidden the costumes since they have come, the girls know they are coming and are desperate to see them…I am saving them for the day OF Halloween, so they will be so excited to put them on and not change their minds in the next 6 hours. Merely because they are new. Wow. That was long. I should write a blog post. I love Williamsburg!
October 19th, 2007 at 4:20 am
She could always wear the Colonial dress to school, right? Or not.
Last year my daughter, then seven, was insistent on being a “scary” something. So far this year she’s undecided – lawd help me.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:32 am
It’s so hard to decide!
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
My daughter has been talking about a party non-stop since the new year.
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October 26th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I would give anything to get my daughter out of the princess stage she’s been obsessed with for the past 3 years. So this year the entire family is dressing up like pirates. And my daughter? She’s the princess we’ve all captured. I can’t win.