How are the Halloween costumes coming along this year?

I'm going as an overweight, middle-aged man with no fashion sense. The Girl says the costume will be a piece of cake . . .

I'm going as a candy dispenser.

Which is a nice break from my usual job as a cash dispenser.

Very nearly the same thing, ain't it?

Are you going as a PEZ, or a gumball machine?

Awesome! Details!

Sozlet's a supernova.

This involves a giant sparkly skirt (base layer of a regular skirt, then a hoop skirt over that, then a tulle underskirt over that, then a gold lame skirt over that, then a glittery tulle top layer -- when I say giant I mean giant, going on spherical), a dark-blue long-sleeved top with "Supernova" spelled out in sequins and beads (it was supposed to say "I'm a supernova" as per her request but I couldn't quite make it fit), and fiber optic thingies in her hair (which will be in an explosive high ponytail and maybe spray-painted gold), and abstractly shooting star-ish sparkly earrings, and a matching necklace she may wear as a headpiece instead.

I think that's it.

Hoping the weather will be nice enough that she can put fleece pants on under the ginormous skirt and be warm enough and not cover the supernova shirt, but we'll see.

Oh and body glitter.

Lots of gold sequins throughout.

I have all of the materials and everything planned out, and all but the "a" done on the shirt, gotta get cracking on that skirt though.

That sounds AMAZING! Did her dad have anything to do with that decision? I really hope you'll send me a photo!

Mo's costume has been in evolution since he first said "zombie". He was going to be a zombie football player -- that would have been just a bit too easy though. Then his friend's mom mentioned that someone had given her a ski suit and her kid was going to be an astronaut but the suit didn't fit -- that's when Mo landed on being a zombie cosmonaut.

We kind of pieced together a mask from three different latex masks (skeleton eyes and nose, shredded skin colored mask, brain cap) and then we'll paint the rest of his face green (he hates having anything over his mouth). I printed up some old Russian space program patches to place on the ski suit (used the old CCCP stuff but changed the year to 2167 (which for whatever reason looked the most graphically interesting)). Then I made a treat bucket from a full head alien mask with a spinal cord (shower hose, weird plastic Christmas light clips, "bloody" gauze, wire) handle.

I just need to finish piecing it together and I'm done!

Oh awesome!!

Speaking of photos, must see the zombie cosmonaut. (Brain cap!!! Old Russian space program patches!! So cool.)

Sozlet was a zombie two years ago, it didn't have quite enough oomph though. Just plain old zombie (in an old-fashioned dress, but...). Her most interesting costumes seem to be hybrids. (Alien princess, etc.)

I have not thought about the treat bucket at all. Hmm. Maybe I'll save some gold lame. I have some glow necklaces and bracelets, can attach those randomly....

believe it or not haven't discussed it. The older one - may be too old. I asked her and she said, I am too old, but I like getting the candy.

I'm afraid this will be Mo's last year that he'll feel okay with dressing up and going out. Halloween is such a big deal in this neighborhood that I could be wrong.

I guess I'll start having to make costumes for my neighbor's kids!

These guys win the award for costumes of the year -



Cycloptichorn

I was gonna be a Red Sox pitcher, but that was just too horrifying.

Yeah just carry some beer and popeye fried chicken...with a big gut.

Boom, you haven't told us what your outfit will look like.

Well tonight's costume is a rather good one if I do say so, myself.

It's the livid-mom-who-writes-serial-email-of-only-slightly-diminishing-"rage-against-"the man""-intensity-until-she-finds-that-blissful-balance-between-abolutely-insane-and-concerned-parent.

I call it the "WTF-are you kidding me?"

I managed to maintain my candy/cash dispensing exterior all the while. (More Pez like than gumball like, I think, as Pez seems to capture the vomiting action.)

I think that's the trick part of trick or treat!!

Ok - it just came to me - if my older daughter decided to go out, I thought of a great and easy combo costume. I work for a financial institution and they currently (as many others) have a re-occuring theme type thing for their advertisments - I could easily incorporate that into a costume (I even a shirt that would blend in with the company name and I grocery bag with the company name if people are too thick to get it)

Then the younger one I could dress up as an occupier. I am not sure they would go for this - as I am not sure they would necessarily get the joke - but I think it would great.

Any thoughts if I could convince them of how to dress her as an occupier?

I'm going to dress up as a Calgary Occupy protester. Blah.

Anyone doing anything to their property? I walk the neighbourhood and see some really creative designs.

I used to go all out when we got 80 kids, but I haven't seen a kid around here the whole time I've lived here (3 yrs). Bought some candy just in case, but I may just have to eat it myself

Sadly, Jane doesn't dress up any longer and she feels sorry for herself that she cannot go out trick or treating these days, but now she can give out candies to the little kids in the neighborhood. It has its perks too!

Last year we had a mini Dwight Shrute (The Office) show up, oh that was hilarious!

You could convince her that they're scary because they loud, obnoxious, smelly and don't take baths for days on end? Or go another route: that they are fighters of the boogie man (bankers and financial analysts)?

She could dress up to give out the candy - I always did I loved to scare the kids 8 and older.