Costume Shopping

Last year, I was in need of a costume for Amy and Jason's halloween party (which sadly we missed this year because of our visit to Virginia). I eventually found something I could use at Walmart. But not before Rob and I traversed the city of Toledo going to all the various costume stores looking for the perfect costumes to wear. We never really found them. Mostly because all of the women's costumes looked like they should be worn by a hooker: the skirts were cut so as to reveal the hinny without ever having to bend over, the tops had necks lower than the Grand Canyon. I could have been Strawberry Shortcake or Snow White but only if I was staring in some semi-pornographic spin-off of some of our most cherished childhood cartoons.

Today, Jourdyn and I headed out the Halloween USA to find a costume for her. Last year, we didn't look for a costume for her. She was an oriental girl because we already had the robe. My dad had brought it home from Japan for my grandmother and since she passed away it's been in my posession.

Once at the store I was rather annoyed with the state of our world. I wasn't shocked about it. It was more of an anger that fumed inside of me. There wasn't a good selection to chose from. The costumes that were child-like (doctors, The Incredibles, Disney characters, clowns, etc) were virtually non-existent except in smaller sizes and the costumes that were still available in Jourdyn's sizes were nothing but smaller versions of the costumes that haunted my memory from last year for women.

Yes, there was the same exact Strawberry Shortcake costume and I would love to say that it was longer and more appropriate since it was for girls. However, had Jourdyn worn it and bent over the whole school would see her rear-end and everything else. She would have had to wear a tank top under it to cover the non-existant cleavage that she has. And it was complete with thigh high tights! It's absolutely crazy! And people wonder why girls are being used for sex toys at younger and younger ages. And the even more crazy part is that Jourdyn wears a 10/12, they offered this costume in 4/6. I was glad to see though that there was an over-abundance of these raunchy costumes for little girls, which means that people aren't buying them. (At least I hope not, because it could also mean that they fly off the shelves and that's why they have so many, to keep that from happening.)

Needless to say after nearly two hours in the store. We found a Teen punk witch costume that appropriate covered her body, but did not fit into my standards of what my children can wear. Many people might ask why they even get to dress up given our spiritual convictions. I have always allowed my children to participate in Halloween but they have never been allowed to wear evil, demonic or scary stuff. Christians are called to be light in a dark world, or better said, Christ should shine through us to our world. So I still wasn't satisfied. We left and went to Target for another hour and a half to dig through their leftovers, which were basically the same thing, but a little more covering. Is it not enough for a little girl to be a nurse? Why is it that she needs to have a short skirt, an exposed belly?



The kids had a little fun though. They tried on masks! Jourdyn is not allowed to wear any face concealing items to school on Halloween so masks were out of the question. Nadine is wearing Bart Simpson here. And I didn't get a pic of it, but right after I took this pic of her as Bart, Rowan reached over and punched Bart straight in the side of the head! Good thing it was a rubber mask and quite large, because Nadine didn't feel a thing. It was quite funny though! And who could blame him, Bart Simpson is very annoying!

I decided to have Jourdyn fall back on an oldie but goodie. She's going to be a baby. She was cool with it! Heck, she got a new pair of jammies with feet and everything. Rowan got some new pacifiers out of it. And after an afternoon of arguing and explaining exactly why every single costume left was not appropriate, I got myself a new pair of shoes of the clearance rack!! Aren't they cute? I can't wait to sink my tootsies into them!!!