halloween's coming

Eastern Small Fry Bat print by Medusawolf on Etsy

Halloween is coming and I thought Dulcie and I were agreed on what her outfit should be.  For ages we've been talking about her dressing up as a cave girl, not exactly traditional Halloween fare, but on the scary spectrum, which is more than close enough these days.  She's got two events on the day - a party at nursery (which I'll be going along to) and small-scale guising with a few of her little friends in the evening.  I thought one outfit would suffice for both and I was excited about making a simple but fun cave-girl outfit for her and maybe even a matching one for me.  Matching outfits, people!  But now that the pumpkins are in the shops, Dulcie claims she reeeeeally wants to dress up as a pumpkin (I blame Charlie and Lola) and I know you can get cheap pumpkin outfits (for less than the cost of cave-girl materials) in Home Bargains and the like.  What a dilemma.  Do I satisfy my urges for a home-made lifestyle and spend more time and money on the cave-girl costumes or sell out and make Dulcie's day with a shop-bought pumpkin?  I wasn't going to go mad on the outfits if I was making them, I'm talking arm and head holes cut in a pillowcase really and fake fur cuffs for ankles and wrists, so it's not like it would be fulfilling my life's crafty ambitions or anything.  I guess I just like the idea of being the kind of mum who made Halloween costumes (that's the sort of childhood memory I'd like Dulcie to have) and there are only so many years that Dulcie will be dressing up at all.  But is it fair to force these idea(l)s on Dulcie when she'd be as happy to go with the flow and fit in with her peers?  I need to decide now so I can order a cheap leopard-print duvet set online if I am caving it!

Apologies for missing Time Travelling Tuesday yesterday.  Dulcie and I have both been struck down by yet another vomiting bug lately (each one worse than the last) and foolishly went to my parents' house as planned, thinking we were over it, then got stranded there for days, too puky to travel home until last night.  I'm still at home in bed/on the couch but have packed Dulcie off to nursery, like the big meanie I am, despite her pale face and protestations.  I keep hoping that this will be (must be!) the last stomach bug of the winter, then realise that winter hasn't even begun yet.  We are officially sick of sick!

UPDATE:  Four days later, the decision has been made.  Dulcie will be dressing up as a shop-bought pumpkin.  What can I say?  It's what the girl wants.  She couldn't even be swayed by the offer of a home-made Frankenstein costume, which I think would have been amazing.  Embrace the mass-produced pumpkin, Mum...  Hopefully I'll be allowed to make Halloween costumes in future years.  I'm going to start making Christmas stuff this week, just so that I don't feel like such a flake.  Dulcie WILL be exposed to my handmade dreams one way or another!