3 Halloween Costumes = 1 Lesson in Parenting

It all started with the ill-conceived idea for a sheep costume.  So cute, right?  Puffy, soft, and totally endearing; it was candy-getting' gold!  Well, I'll have to show it to you on the model hired by Pottery Barn, because my little darling wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.  Plus, when I put the hat on she alternately thought I was a kitty cat and a bunny.  Confusing, to say the least. 

See how this kid's not screaming?  Yeah, that would have been nice.

Moving on...

Next, Andy and I headed to Target to pick up what I naively thought was going to be a sure thing.  Ava is obsessed with princesses, so a sparkly Cinderella dress (no head gear required) was the answer to our problems, yes?  Uh, no.  That too was met with ear-piercing screams, and thrown directly to the floor. 

This final fit happened about half an hour before we were leaving for Boo at the Zoo, and Mama was gettin' desperate.  Who was going to give candy to a kid dressed up as, well, nothing?!  I ran to her closet and pulled out an Iowa cheerleader dress someone had given us last year.  It was a size too small and didn't even cover her diaper, but matched with some tights, and an old pom-pom from the toy box, it was the best we were going to do. 

This time, no tantrums, and she had a ball at the zoo.  She gamely ran from station to station, holding out her bag for candy with an enthusiastic "trick or treat!", offering up a polite and hearty "thank you!" with each treat she was given.  But I think the best part of this debacle was that her coat covered the whole costume, so most of the time you couldn't tell what she was anyway.  *sigh* 

The only thing she actually cared about was that red sucker in her hand.  She didn't put it down until we got home.

More trick-or treating tonight, in a cheerleader dress that fits.  Pics to come.  Happy Halloween!