{Giggles} "I don't want to be an alligator!"

As Halloween approached this year I started thinking of what fun costumes I could create (or at least embellish) for the kids. I love being able to use my creativity in dressing them up for some adorable pictures...BUT this year was the official beginning of the end.

I had it all settled in my mind Ava will be Tinkerbell (she loves Tinkerbell and bonus was we already had a great costume some friends let us borrow) Lily would be Pixie Dust (I couldn't wait to see this) and Elijah would be the alligator from Peter Pan and I could make it really fun with the clock in his tummy...do you see where I am going with this?

Elijah did NOT want to be an alligator...HE wanted to choose his costume, he even brought up some of the past costumes I 'made' him wear and I realized if I didn't let this one go I was on the verge of becoming my own brand of stage mom! So I let it go...

"Okay Elijah, you tell me, what would you like to be?"
"I want to be something cool...I want to be Darth Vader!"
"You don't even know who that is..."
"Yes I do. it's the good guy from starwars!"

Well, we let him be 'the good guy from starwars'...can you tell he has never even seen starwars? So this post is in honor of all the costumes I have lovingly "made" my kids wear over the years...

{2005} Raggedy Ann and Andy with cousin Cloee



"Let's get your make-up done Dahling!"

{2006} Peter Pan and Tinkerbell



Elijah's costume was store bought...but Ava's was all me!:)

{2007} The Sandwich and The Waitress

"Order up!"

These were both handmade and when Elijah was asked why he was a sandwich he said:

"because kids love pickles!"

{2008} The 3 Little Pigs...this was a family affair!



The piggy tail shake!



{2009} Batman and Cinderella

also known as the year Halloween snuck up on me and I had no desire to make costumes so we used ones that we already had...YES this happens to me too!

{2010} Tinkerbell, Pixie Dust, and.......Darth Vader

(who wore his mask for 2 seconds before taking it off because it's "weird and I can't see through it!")

If you look closely you'll notice that Elijah took the liberty of cutting the belt off of his previous Batman costume and attaching it to this one because he overheard me and Avery talking about getting it for
1/2 price because it was 'just missing a belt'.

The following night we went to a western themed party
with cousin Louie & Ellie

 ...so the kids got a little bit country!
(No I did not go out and buy more costumes, these are from our dress-up box!)



 Although my costume making days are over with Elijah, and Ava too once she catches on that there is weakness in the upper ranks, I do still have Lily for at least one more year.
 hmmmm...October 2011, I'm thinking a frog sitting on a Lily pad! Oh yes!