outside the (toy) box

Okay, so for the last month I’ve been obsessing in my own secret way over Halloween. 

I love Halloween - it has always been my favorite holiday, because it asks nothing from you other than your creativity. What a delight. Over the years I’ve had some really great costumes too — I once went as a can of Tomato Soup, and made dh dress as Warhol, one year I was a picnic (you had to see it), once I was Molly Shannon’s Mary Catherine Gallagher from SNL (smellin’ my armpits all night, with great comedic effect),  and once my old roommate and I even went as a pair of ears… I love it.

Anyway, after last year’s close call with Thing 1, and her subsequent princess love (albeit abstract), I knew I would have to be one cool customer to finagle a non-Disney princess costume.  The jury is still out.

Thus far, I have used the tactic I used last year, collecting all her ideas on a list.  So far she has added:

• a tooth
• a heart
• mud (what do you expect, this is the child who went as “yellow” 2 years ago)
• a fairy
• a rainbow (with Thing 2 as a cloud or sun)
• Thing 1 (with Thing 2 as Thing 2, of course)
• Sleeping Beauty 
• a kite
• an ice cream come 
• a birthday party
• WordGirl (oh, how I wish she would want wordgirl) w/ Thing 2 as the monkey sidekick

I LOVE the birthday party idea - I can see using a box around her body as a present, having her wear a party hat, tying helium balloons from her arms, and letting her carry a cupcake… you get the idea.  But, in case you needed me to tell you the obvious, she seems most enthused about Sleeping Beauty.  She was already leaning that way, and for good reason, since all of her preschool pals are going as one of the #@&%!  Disney harem.  This was magnified exponentially when she discovered that her very favorite older cousin is also going as a princess. Now she wants to be “twins.”

Anyway, I’ve been acting all neutral and talking up her great ideas… and how we get to pick on October 1st, so I can start to work on it… and whatever she picks that day will be great.  But, in my heart, I have been assuming I would lose and in light of that eventuality, trying to think how to at least get her to be a non-character (read as: marginally creative) princess (likely answer: bait her by creating the gaudiest, most elaborate, rainbow princess costume ever invented - bedecked with all kinds of “power” accessories.)

So, as Oct. 1 limped closer, I had become increasingly grumbly (to myself), knowing that I’m about to be dethroned by princess.  Until I hit pay dirt. We were driving to pick up Thing 2 from the sitter, when I said, “What else can we add to your list? A cat?” (We were listening to the Cats soundtrack) “No.” Hmmm… All of a sudden, a vision of Dakota Fanning in overalls swirled above me and I knew it was good…

“Hey, You could be FERN.  You could wear clothes like Fern and carry a stuffed pig to be Wilbur and a baby bottle to feed him…if you wanted”  Charlotte’s Web was the first (there have only been 2) feature film she saw and my Mother bought her the DVD after it was released. It has become a staple on long drives to Grandma’s and Thing 1 worships Fern.

“No, Thing 2 can be Wilbur!!!!” she said, and I love this on so many levels, “And you can be Charlotte! and Daddy can be Templeton or your web, if we put string all over him!”  I lauded her creativity (sincerely) and she was excited enough to call her father and to tell the baby’s sitter.

It just might stick and it’s so much better than princess.

It’s moments like these that I know that all the people who think I should relax are right (What kind of loser/masochist lets Disney ruin her favorite holiday?), but it also reminds me that my silly manueverings might matter. 

When I saw the previews for Charlotte’s Web, I knew I would take Thing 1, if ever there was a film I would feel good about this was it — critical female charcaters - Fern is caring, fights for justice, Charlotte is wise, creative, generous, and it’s a wonderful way to introduce a child to the excitement of chapter books.  A story of friendship, the circle of life, and overcoming obstacles.  This is good stuff.  Plus animals.  She did have to be removed from the theater temporarily to calm the weeping when Charlotte died, but let’s not go there just this second…  Anyway, Thing 1 loved the film and it may, just possibly, save her from being one in a sea of mass produced, mass marketed, costumes.  Or it may not. 

Time will tell. Monday is October 1 — can I sustain the hype?