If there wasn't angst about the eye shape for the pumpkins, there was a lot of angst over what to be and how to make it happen.

Rose figured out awhile ago that she wanted to be Abraham Lincoln as a pig. And then John pointed out that she could be AbraHAM Lincoln, and the fabulosity grew exponentially. But how to make it happen?

David could not decide what he wanted to be, which was making me extremely nervous. Finally, John convinced him to be Sonic the Hedgehog, the superhero from the comic books he's been looking at recently.

So Monday, I took the kids to Target because David desperately needed winter boots for the pumpkin patch trip his class was taking Friday and I knew the store had Halloween stuff. After driving through crowded streets and pouring rain, we got the boots, but it was a no go on anything superhero or presidential. I want to pause here and give the kids credit for their good behavior. I hate going into stores like Target with them because they immediately start clamoring for everything in sight. We discussed this issue ahead of time, and we only ended up with one extra shirt for David, and then we went to Display and Costume, chachka heaven, and they continued to be cool.

Display and Costume is the place to be in the run up to Halloween. Everyone is having such a good time there figuring out their costumes. We joined the party. Rose found an Abraham Lincoln kit and a pig nose. David found a Sonic costume in his size, spent half an hour trying it on, and decided he didn't want it. I was hungry, tired, needed to pee, and stressed about him changing his mind again. So, I did not let him buy the Indiana Jones whip.

Tuesday, I had a revelation. I had been sure the minute I bought David accouterments for an Indiana Jones costume, he would change his mind. So, I told him I would drive back to Display and Costume, he could buy the whip and a hat too, but if he changed his mind he was paying for it out of his allowance. Suddenly, my stress was gone. We had a lovely time. We got a hat in his size.

But what about a coat for Rose? She had a wig and hat but no Lincoln coat. After much freaking out on her part, it finally occurred to me that one of my old big shouldered jackets would do the trick.

I was going to make David wear a raincoat over his costume, to which he strenuously objected, but then John pointed out that Indy had lots of different coats including a sports jacket. So David wore his good jacket and looked stunning.

My angst was more of the racism kind. If I wear the hot pink hammertime pants I bought at a Pakistani store in Paris 25 years ago and pretend to be a genie, am I disrespecting someone else's culture? John wore a whisk through his head and looked fabulous. No angst.

We all had a great time trick or treating at the local businesses yesterday and admiring all our neighbors.