Word Girl, one more time

Gracie had a repeat performance as Word Girl this morning at preschool.  She and all her school cronies were able to parade before parents and grandparents and show off their costumes.

Halloween 2010

So last year, creative juices were flowing all over the place while coming up with costumes for the kids.  This year, it just wasn't there.  There were no unified costumes that strangers from Sweden would comment on.  Alas and alack, despite my inability to think outside the box, the kids had a fun night collecting candy. 

Kate wore the cow costume that both Joost and Grace wore in earlier years.  She was a top notch trick-or-treater, too.  No stroller for her--she went door to door on foot for an hour and a half.  Joost was a knight, but he was not happy substituting some of the musketeer garb from last October in for a knight costume.  No, no.  We needed different colors for the tunic and a dragon instead of a fleur-de-lis on the chest.  Grace decided, very last minute, to be Word Girl (instead of the previously decided princess.  I was hoping for some continuity between Sir Joost and Princess Grace, but who was I kidding?)  So, last night, I amazingly found all the supplies around the house that I needed to come up with a halfway decent imitation of a Word Girl costume.

In the end, we had a fun night and we have bulging bags of candy.  What more could you ask from 3 costumes?

Even we have princesses

I know that everyone has pictures of their daughters in princess attire.  In a house with two girls, you would think that was a daily occurrence.  Not in ours.  Let me tell you how things work in our house.  Grace, besides her love for the colors pink and purple and pretty shoes, would be just fine playing in a house of boys and their toys.  She's very content building Lego castles with Joost.  She's up for a game of baseball in the backyard whenever it's offered.  She builds forts, wields swords and can imitate a scary dragon.  But, when gift list time comes, don't you dare put a doll on that list.  That doll will never be cuddled or even noticed.

But, today, we were thinking through Halloween costumes.  I have a great lack of inspiration for making costumes this year, so I suggested she try on her new princess dress that she received as a birthday gift.  Once on, I suggested she wear the hennin that Jeff and I bought her while in England.  She refused (not surprisingly since we bought the hat in 2007 and it's not been used yet), but when Kate saw the hat, her little eyes lit up.  She ran over and I tied it on--fully expecting it to be pushed off.  Not so.  In fact, I could tell she was hoping to wear a princess dress, as well.  And thus the picture.

Certain grandmothers are happy that there is now a granddaughter who will enjoy putting dolls on her gift list.