Dear China, Thanks a bunch! Love, Ashley

I'm a stay-at-home mom.  That means that I should cook nutritious meals, do arts and crafts with my kids, and for God's sake, make their Halloween costumes.  Right?  Umm, wrong.  I cook a couple things and for the most part they are nutritious.  I bake a ton of things that have no redeeming value to them other than they make my house smell edible and they taste like a million bucks.  I do do art projects with the kids often.  Well, not with William.  He's completely disinterested in all things crafty.  But make their Halloween costumes?  That's laughable.  I can't even sew a button on Drew's cute little brown sweater that she wears.  And it's not for having lack of talented role models.  My mom used to make our clothes when we were little.  Clothes!  I just can't imagine.  This falls into the category of magic as far as I'm concerned (along with electricity, modern medicine, and the internet ).

Here is a picture of my brother and me, circa 1980.  Brandon is a terrorist ghost and I am a beautiful clown.  Both homemade.  Both cute, and we loved them.

 

As Halloween got closer and both kids decided for sure what they wanted to be the thought of making their costumes did cross my mind.  And then when Drew declared she was to be a witch and William a ghost I thought that I definitely should make them.  I mean, those are some easy things to come up with.  That thought was very quickly followed with the thought of purchasing the costumes and calling it a day.  And that's what I did.  Actually, Chris took William to go get costumes while Drew was at school.  I got that kick ass flu that everyone else has gotten so I was out of commission and therefore out of control of exactly what was purchased.  I guess William changed his mind to Batman when he saw there was no ghost costume available.  Chris did a great job of picking out Drew's witch costume.  He did call from the store and asked if I wanted her to be a Celestial Witch, a Glamour Witch, or a Horror Witch.  I said, "Whichever is the least hoochy."  Here are a couple pictures: 

Drew, the Celestial Witch

William, as Batman

Don't be jealous of my totally rad 80's kitchen. 

Lauren's costume didn't fit so I'll go back and get her something else. 

I vow that next year I will make all three kids their Halloween costumes.  If for no other reason I will do it to prove that I am in fact magical capable. 

Wanna know the true horror of this Halloween costume story? These were made in China and sold at Walmart.

So, to the little kids in the sweatshop in China who made the non-hoochy witch costume and the cool Batman costume, thanks a bunch!! 

Happy Halloween!!

*By the way, if your kid comes to my house on Halloween and doesn't say thank you when I give him/her candy, I will snatch it back from them.  Then I'll unwrap it and eat it in front of them.  Please remind your kids to mind their manners, even on Halloween.