Here's the story of Halloween 2009 at the Roebuck house:
When we were living in Idaho, I bought Max and Maggie matching chicken costumes on clearance from Old Navy in sizes that would fit them for Halloween this year. They totally loved them, and had played dress up in them a few times before Halloween rolled around. However, I knew that this would be the absolute last year that I would get Max into anything resembling a barn-yard animal for Halloween. And I was right. As soon as he saw the other little boys' Darth Vader, pirate, Spiderman, and soldier costumes, he realized that for a four-year-old boy, a chicken costume is L-A-M-E.
But.... I was so proud of my little guy. He didn't complain or fuss. He did ask if, after Halloween was over we could "return these chicken suits to Oh, Maybe (what he calls Old Navy) and pick out something else?" And then a few days after Halloween, he told me that this year (his imaginary friend) Beedy was a pirate for Halloween.
Well, that compelled Grandmama Vicki to have me take Max to Walmart and let him pick out any costume he wanted from the after-halloween clearance sale. Pure bliss for this little guy! His choice: Pirate, of course! Then a few days later, the costumes were marked down AGAIN to only $1.40, so Maggie got in on the pirate fun as well. They kids have been wearing their pirate costumes every waking minute for the past five days. I wish I had a video of Maggie running around the house in her pirate dress yelling, "ARrrrrrrrgh, Mateys!"
And while Max asked me today if all pirates had to steal, or whether he could strictly look for buried treasure and be a good pirate, Maggie doesn't seem to have a problem with playing the traditional thieving scallywag pirate role.
Aye, I love me lil' pirates!
