Halloween Dilemma

So the boy has decided to dress in all black, tight jeans, leather jacket and eyeliner for Halloween. This means he is not dressing up. I'm sad, it happens, he's almost 15 and I suppose Halloween has a different meaning during the teen years...guys look dark and dangerous and the girls wear tiny angel costumes and wings, bunny or kitten costumes.

But for the girl, Halloween is still magical and full of pretend. She is however, torn between following her own desires and conforming to the norms of a female in the kindergarten set. Last weekend, she choose between Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Mulan and Cinderella and settled on Mulan. I should have noticed the unrest in her eyes when we walked out of the store.

Last night, we ended up at the mall (free air conditioning and clean air). I noticed her staring at the costumes on the "other side" of the store. She said she really needed a hook hand and sword. So I offered for her to try on the Captain Hook costume. She was dubious, it just wasn't done, we were supposed to be on the sparkely side of the store. I saw her on the edge, a choice of something she wanted and a choice of what she felt were heavy expectations. She put her little arms through the maroon velvet coat and then she suggested trying the hat on as well. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror and said "I AM Captain Hook!". She is a stinkin' doll faced Captain Hook, but I told her, instead, that she looked fierce.

One more year of Halloween about the fantasy and not about what the other girls are wearing.

Oh, and me? I'm looking for a blue gown...I will be Wendy. The girl who adores the boy who never grows up.