Monday, September 25, 2006

Pageant Mom Panties

I spent the majority of the day on Sunday working on my
son’s Halloween costume. I’ve gone old
school this year, actually making a costume from scratch. I realize that it is only September and that
there is still quite a bit of time left to find the perfect costume but I have
done exhaustive searches both online and in stores. I cannot find a decent cowboy costume for under $30 that doesn’t
look like it was constructed using a garbage bag. 





Halloween is no longer just a stroll down the sidewalk to
ring a few doorbells and return home. It is a weeklong event. Finding
the perfect costume is imperative because your child’s costume is a direct
reflection of your creative ability and style. Your children may not actually enter any costume competitions but there
will be judges on hand at all times in the form of other Moms. 





I will be one of those other Moms. I may run into you at “Boo at the Zoo” and tell you how cute your
daughter looks in her princess costume but secretly I’ll be thinking, “Thank
goodness she didn’t have the same costume as my daughter.” I may see you at the Children’s Museum
Monster Bash and ask you if you made your son’s pirate costume. I’ll privately hope that you tell me “no” so
that I can up the ante and regale you with stories about picking the perfect
pattern, fabric, etc… for my son’s cowboy costume. You will look at my son’s costume and marvel at my ability as a
seamstress. Next year, you’ll make your
own. You have no choice now. 





Keeping up with the Joneses has infiltrated our
holidays. We can’t just run to Wal-Mart
and spend $9.99 on a Spiderman costume like our parents did when we were
kids. There is too much at stake now. We’ve got to find something that will
impress our friends and show off our skills as a mother, seamstress, and savvy
shopper. I’ve got a head start this
year. My kids’ costumes are ready and
I’ve got my pageant mom panties on. Bring
it on!





11 comments:

  1. funny you should write about this, as Chris and I (along w/ Maggie) were just discussing yesterday over lunch what Halloween costumes would be this year. I feel compelled to dress my girls as a "pair," which tends to only complicate finding the right costume.
    When Aleita was a baby, she was a bee and Maggie a flower. Last year, she was a frog, and Maggie a princess (she'll get me for that one later!) I think this year, they are going to be a cat and mouse. I was already searching ebay this morning. . .

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  2. My poor children would be laughed out of any halloween event if I made their costumes. Are you for hire???

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  3. Aunt Becky-
    I sympathize with you about finding a pair. I found my daughter's costume first (an Indian) so I debated whether to make my son an Indian or a cowboy. In the end, I decided to play off of their sibling rivalry and choose the latter.

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  4. Melinda-
    I'm always for hire if the price is right :)

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  5. I was such a good Mom to my oldest kids. They always had homemade costumes.
    Now the peer pressure is really on for me to fire up the good ole sewing machine.

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  6. Angie-
    I told you that your kids will be scarred for life if you didn't make their costume!

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  7. Yes, you did Julianne. I am currently weighing the options.. #1) Make the d%$n costumes
    #2) Say forget it and just fork out the 1,000's of $$$$ for the childrens therapy (since I would be ruining their childhood) and run to Target and buy a costume
    It's a tough choice! Thank gosh the oldest 2 don't trick or treat anymore, I can't handle this pressure!

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  8. Here's your solution:
    Get the costume at Target and add a couple of things with a glue gun. Voila! You've made a costume!

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  9. When I was a kid I always got those stupid plastic costumes. They were the ones that came in a box. They outfit part of it was just basically a rectangular piece of plastic that bore only a slight resemblance to whatever character you were supposed to be. Then there was the mask - just a piece of hard plastic with eyeholes cut in it and a piece of elastic around the back to hold it on your head. If you were really lucky, there might be a slit in the mouth of the mask and you would be able to stick your tongue out of it. Can you IMAGINE sending your kids to the Monster Bash in that outfit? I wouldn't be caught dead now with my kids in those type of costumes. Instead, I have spent a small fortune at the Disney Store in order to make them into a perfect likeness of their favorite characters!

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  10. Jacquelyn-
    I was lucky and had a Mom who sewed. Most of my costumes were handmade. I remember in the 6th grade (my last year of trick or treating) I went as a man. Just a man, not any particular man, just a guy in a suit.

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  11. Are those granny, french cut, or butt floss???

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