I guess I could’ve been upset when our ‘Star Wars’ themed Halloween turned into a ‘Star Wars Meets the Disney Princesses’ Halloween. After all, we did plan this idea months ago. Hannah Grace was excited to dress up like the beautiful Princess Leia, and Chloe couldn’t wait to don her ‘Toyota’ costume (otherwise known as ‘Yoda’ to everyone over the age of two). Caleb already had his Luke Skywalker costume, Daddy was living out his dream as Darth Vader, and, since Natalie Portman and I could almost be twins, I thought Queen Amilama-dim-dom suited me just fine.
Hannah Grace was the first to give up. She wanted to be a superhero instead, which was fine with me since super Aunt Lisa bought them dress-up costumes for when they came over to visit. Chloe quickly followed the lead of her sister, and the ‘Star Wars’ theme changed into a ‘Superheroes’ theme–it all still worked.
Until, of course, four days before Halloween when Hannah Grace assumed the role she was born to play as ‘Fancy Nancy’ for Book Character Day at preschool. The girls were adorable, so I really didn’t care that our theme was unraveling before my eyes.
And speaking of Fancy Nancy, I really didn’t care when one little Nancy refused to smile during her parade.
Because, after all, some things are important, and some things are not. Halloween costumes are not important, even if it doesn’t make sense for one’s daughters to ditch the thought-out costumes, the multiple-thought out costumes, for their everyday, ripped, dress-up clothes. Princess dresses without the proper crowns or shoes or wigs–an arts-and-craftsy mother’s nightmare.
But luckily this mother doesn’t care.
Luckily, this mother didn’t care the night before when her husband started carving a pumpkin at 8:30, and the kids had school the next day (okay, I cared a little).
Because, luckily, this mama’s learning that sometimes (many times) life doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes weekends end up a little more hectic than planned, and the kids are up a little bit later than I’d like. Sometimes kids change their mind about Halloween costumes one hour before we leave for the Fall Festival. Sometimes teenagers forget how to read when they come upon an unattended Halloween bag that says, “Take 1.”
Sometimes kids go to school with different colored socks or hair sticking up in the back. Sometimes Mommy is a little too tired to make the healthier homemade pizza crust and buys a packaged one instead.
Sometimes, I have to pick my battles. And Halloween isn’t one of them.
Sometimes, five happy faces is more important.
And if anyone disagrees with me, I really don’t care.
How did you or your family dress up for Halloween? Are you able to say “I don’t care” to things that really don’t matter?
Jennifer Vignola Davis 
Don't sweat the small stuff! 🙂 I can't imagine how excited Matt was to be Darth Vader!
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Well, we bought matching Batgirl and Batman costumes on clearance, clearance, clearance last year and spend the whole year convincing the kids of the fun they would have as sibling superheroes. Noah wore his twice, and then chose to be a wolf with a wolf hat. Isabel wore hers once and then defaulted to her natural state, which is a princess dress, a tiara, and uncomfortable plastic heels that she wore to the parade and the Boo at the Zoo and gave her blisters, but she did not care because it would not have worked without the shoes. Anyway, I gave up two years ago. She will always end up being a princess. A fairy-princess, a Batgirl princess, a you-name-the-costume princess. She is what she is, right?
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Yes, and she sounds just like my Hannah Grace…except Hannah Grace has broken multiple tiaras and tends to misplace her shoes, so she skipped the crown this year and wore sandals under her dress. And she was a princess last year, as well. Any guesses as to her costume next year? 😉
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Hey, this is part of the tradition, right? Kids change their minds, go top default mode and there is too much sugar and too many late nights…and…and… And that is the joy of it, the delicious we're-breaking-a-few-rules delight of it all. I am glad you all celebrated and made a regular holiday of it – it's supposed to be fun and a little wacky and you did good. :>) (Those kids are A-DORABLE)
And thanks for stopping by my place yesterday. And I am totally with you on 'knowing' what I want and then really second-guessing myself or slipping, like kids on Halloween, into default (read MY way, please) mode double-quick. It's part of the growth process I think…
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