Anyway, it occurred to me today that this will be the last Halloween Derek will be spending at home (or at least..."close by"--more on that later). I know, I know--what a silly thing to get all misty about...and don't get me wrong, I'm not sobbing into my bowl of chocolate, or anything (if only because that would ruin the candy...DUH!). It's more of a "realization", if you will, that things are changing from here on out, so I should make even more of a concerted effort than usual to pay attention, remember, and record as many moments as possible, in the upcoming months.
However, it also got me thinking about...the Ghost of Halloweens Past...which inspired me to look back through old photo albums and dig up some snapshots of young Derek and Riley in their seasonal finery. This turned out to be an absolutely fabulous idea, as I greatly enjoyed myself, giggling my way across the years of costumed cuteness. And because I'm such a sharing individual, I'm going to let you in on some of the festivities. (Lucky you! Or, that's your cue to run screaming in the other direction. It's your choice--no judgment if looking at other people's kids in goofy get-ups isn't your thing. Either way, I suggest you cue up a selection of your favorite All Hallows Eve treats...you know, just in case...)So, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Derek's first Halloween: Husband had the cow costume from "way back when", and I swear he manufactured any excuse to wear that thing. (No, seriously, there are pictures of him skiing in it, among other activities. As you may have guessed, many of them involved adult beverages. That's all I'm gonna say. Just. Don't. Ask.) Therefore it seemed like a no-brainer to buy a mini-bovine-version for his firstborn son. The results, as you can see, are both ridiculous...but also kind of freakin' adorable...
Next we have the legendary dinosaur suit, which I bought at a Children's Place outlet store for, I believe 20-bucks, and Derek proceeded to wear for the next THREE years, because he loved it so much. (This still reigns in our household as the Best. Clothing. Purchase. Ever. and is unlikely to lose that title any time soon...also, when Derek finally outgrew it, Riley smoothly took it right over, and kept the tradition alive. And you know, that fuzzy full-body-fun-suit never fell apart--I finally just donated it to a thrift store when both boys had to admit they were too big to squeeze into it anymore. Sniffle...)
Speaking of the younger brother, the year that Riley came along, Derek started preschool, so we have the infant dressed as some sort of monster-type-thingie, aaaannnnd Derek rocking...the dinosaur again. Well, at least he made it easy on us!
I don't recall exactly whose idea this was or why, but when Derek was in Kindergarten we apparently decided to make him a King costume. (King of what? Eh, your guess is as good as mine.) Trust me when I tell you that this represents the extent of my...creative crafting abilities. (Yep, I drew on a turtleneck with fabric markers. Fortunately, he was 5, and didn't know any better, and thought it was awesome...so yaaayyy, us!) Meanwhile, Riley wore a firefighter ensemble that had been a Christmas present the previous year. (So to recap: homemade cheap outfit, + something that already lived in our toy box = winning!)
By 2006, Derek was firmly into his Music Phase. It just seemed like a natural choice to combine his love of drumming...with the iconic character known for his wild antics in the Muppet band. The shirt was from Target...the microphone his own...the hair sculpted by Mom, with the help of a whole lotta gel...and the expression? Pure, unadulterated Derek...ness. And then there's Riley...who at this point had clearly entered what would turn out to be a lengthy, dedicated, passionate Thomas the Tank Engine period of his life. (As you'll see from the next 2 years, in which he stubbornly wore the exact same costume, refusing to even entertain the notion of switching things up. (What can I say? The boy knew what he liked...)
Second grade Derek and preschool Riley opted for a traditional Orioles player...and the train dude again. (Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you...) The next year, Derek chose a Star Wars theme--because you can't go wrong with a Jedi, obviously. And...the familiar engine-with-a-face for Kindergarten (because his new friends probably hadn't seen it a million times....or whatever...)
And finally, the last year I actually have photographic evidence of the boys dressing up, we have vampire Riley and ninja Derek. I have no earthly clue why either one of them chose those particular items, but I seem to remember that--unlike when they were little, and just threw on the same delightful combination for several consecutive holidays, it was becoming more difficult to figure out what they wanted to transform into for the magical night of make-believe. Especially with the dual additional challenges of my admitted ineptitude in the Project Runway arena...and unwillingness to shell out loads of moolah for pre-made stuff meant to be worn once. So...yeah...the Halloween costume streak eventually ran out of steam, allowing the boys to instead shift their focus to the true meaning of the special day...that's right, obtaining and consuming as much sweet stuff as humanly possible in the short window of time slated for such endeavors.As such, I'll wrap up with the touching note that was left for me this year:
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| Halloween 2017--just being...themselves! |
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