I hadn’t intended to write about a random photo today. I was looking for a specific photo to write about, but in my (unsuccessful) search for that snapshot, I found these Halloween pictures. Since this is the season for all things pumpkin, I will write about them. Thus, while these photos were a random find, the story is not really random.
I have mentioned before that I made a pumpkin costume for my daughter when she was two. She was old enough to know that pumpkins went with Halloween, but not old enough to grasp the concept of dressing up as something scary or ghoulish or weird. She insisted on a pumpkin costume. Which was weird enough in its own way, I suppose.
I used a picture of the empty pumpkin costume in my earlier post. That costume is still stowed in a back closet in our new house, along with other keepsakes from my children’s childhood. But here are pictures of my daughter wearing the costume, along with her brother as a ninja warrior.
As a ninja, my son wasn’t very scary. Although he was past his toddler cuteness, he was too cute to be scary. But it was the era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Whoever came up with that crazy idea anyway? I mean, what four words would a reasonable person be less likely to juxtapose?), and my son had to participate in the current fad. He’d been through his Superman and Batman phases, and he was ready to move on to ninjas. Even teenage mutant turtle ninjas.
As these pictures demonstrate, other than my creation of the pumpkin body itself, my kids’ costumes were rather understated. No unwieldy constructions. No extravagant purchases. The felt pumpkin body was accompanied by a green felt hat and green tights. Not much complication there. I don’t remember how we acquired the ninja costume, but the top doubled as my son’s bathrobe in the months after Halloween. We never did do elaborate costumes, and only rarely did my husband and I participate in costume-wearing.
Halloween this year is likely to be unusual. From PVC candy delivery pipes to socially distanced trunk-or-treating, our world has changed from the simple days of my pumpkin and ninja.
I’m not even sure I’ll be handing out candy this year. I want to treat the little tricksters in our neighborhood, and I will feel guilty if I don’t.
Last year, ours was the only house occupied on our cul-de-sac, and I was certain no one would come by. I didn’t even buy any candy. But one group of three little girls did ring our bell. I promised them that in 2020 I would have treats for them.
A year ago, I didn’t anticipate a pandemic would interfere with holidays. I have bought some candy this year, but despite my guilt, I’m hesitant to hand it out.
What are your Halloween plans this year?
No plans as my home is an out of the way place the treaters never find. My comment is about the costumes my 2 and 3-year-olds wore. The 3-year-old decided he wanted to be a box. So he and his brother were painted card board boxes. Easy costume: cut holes for arms and head and painted the boxes.
I wish I’d had box children!