And the Winner Is....

SUPERMAN!!

Steffi has been asking when we are going to get her costume. I told her after the retreat this weekend as I've been so busy that I haven't had time to really shop. But today at my lunch I went out and attempted to find a superman costume. I like to make the costumes so she has it to use later...you know, using things like sweats or sweaters that can be put back to it's original use and then used again after Halloween.

The attempt at the first two stores were pointless....I could find tops and no matching bottoms or vice versa. My friend suggested just to get the unmatched colored ones (different shades of blue) and I said no, way...can't have a two-toned Superman walking around! So, as a backup I picked up one of those cheesy ready-made costumes...

When I picked Steffi up from school her first question was, can we go and get my costume? Okay, I'll try one more place and see how we do. SCORE!! And this is how the story goes....we are walking around, looking at various pants and tops and trying to find something that is solid in color and actually matches...nothing...I'm starting to get discouraged as Steffi, always the optimist says, don't worry mom, we'll find it. Keep looking! We go through the girls section, nothing, over to the boys section ...wait, I think I found something! Yes, light blue sweatpants! What about these Steffi? No mom, they aren't small enough! Huh? You know, they are supposed to be small, like tights! Oh, right, Superman wears blue tights!

Okay, continue through the boys section and Spiderman catches my eye...okay, we're getting closer! Going through the pajama rack...Batman, Hulk, Iron Man...SUPERMAN!!! Only one I find and it's a size 4....kind of iffy...she's actually in a 5. I don't know Steffi, these really aren't your size. Okay, can we try Hulk too?

Off to the fitting room....Superman fits, a little snug, but if I don't let her play with them too much before Halloween and don't have to wash them more than once, they may still fit at Halloween...no growing between now and then, do you hear me! Because of course Hulk in one size larger is too big.

I was so excited to find Superman that I did not look at the price...oops..$34!!! Are you kidding me!!! Okay Steffi, these are really expensive, I'm not sure we can get them....We can mom, you have lots of money, do you have enough money? Hey kid, do you know we are in a recession and my investments have dropped 30% in two weeks?!!?? Of course you don't.

Okay, back to the rack to return Hulk and see why pajamas are so darn expensive! There are others that are $34 but they are a 2 set package...meaning two pairs of pajamas. Okay, there is hope. I'm looking for one of those price scanner thingys...nothing. Hmm...okay, I take a chance and bring them to the checkout.

I ask the girl at checkout, "Can you just check the price on these for me?" $10.20 on clearance!!! YEA!!! So, paid and happy, one little girl that can't wait for Halloween, to wear her Superman pajamas and the cape she bought with Papa's money.

And this is one happy mommy to have the Halloween costume done.

Harvest Time

It's almost Halloween. We don't really celebrate Halloween, we call it Harvest Festival. Our church and even Steffi's school calls it Harvest Festival. Steffi's daddy's school calls it Harvest Festival now too. You have to be in 'friendly' costumes and at church it's a safe place to get candy, and play games.

Steffi still dresses up, and she is still young enough for me to try and steer her towards a costume that I want her to have. I like to start conversations early regarding this topic for two reason. One, so that I have time to make or assemble her costume, and two, she changes her mind A LOT!

She started out wanting to be Guido...no not, some kind of lounge singer...but Guido from the Disney Cars movie. The little fork lift that puts the tires on. We tried to tell her that no one would know who she was. We told her of how when she was Dora for Halloween one time, everyone kept asking why she wasn't dressed up and we had to explain that she was actually Dora. This went on for a few weeks...her wanting to be Guido. After hearing so many times that no one would know who she is, she came back and told me, "it's okay mom, I will carry around my Cars DVD and tell everyone I came out of this movie!" Too funny. But we still tried to change her mind...also because we weren't sure how we were going to make Guido!

Then I remembered the Snow White dress she has...the one that she wore at her birthday party, the one that she had to wear to her 'best friend's' knight/princess party at school (and then put a hole in it by trying to ride a tricycle with it on!)...yeah, that one...let me see if I can sell her on Snow White.

Conversation goes like this..

Me: Steffi, how about Snow White for Halloween!
S: Well, no, I want to be Guido.
Me: No one will know Guido. This way you can wear your dress and everyone will know who you are.
S: No, I want to be Guido.
Me: Okay... :(

A few days later...

S: Mom, where is my Snow White dress...I'm going to be Snow White for Halloween!
Me: Okay, let's try it on! Yea!

Thank goodness it still fits and she now is telling everyone she is going to be Snow White. Hopefully that will stick for the next few weeks until we are in the clear....

But then it opened a whole other bucket of worms regarding her birthday....but that's for another time.