Let’s put it to a vote.

by Ashley Weeks Cart

My mother is one of those women who buys things because they are on sale regardless of whether or not said items are of any particular use or value.

WE’D LOSE MONEY IF SHE DIDN’T BUY THEM!

DON’T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND!

This would explain why our guest bathroom has a glowing orb of a nightlight that eerily blends between shades of blue, red, and green. It’s like an alien space craft is descending in our home every evening.

It would explain the pucci style pots and pans, and that mutant excuse for a whisker with bright orange balls on the tip. (That just got so sexual, so fast.)

It’s our excuse for the bathroom drawer overflowing with lotions and potions and hair doo dads. And the expertly matching bottles of perfume and odd bowls and cups on each of our bathroom sinks.

It’s the reason I have SIX Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags for ONE baby, a dozen sleep sacks, too many burp cloths and drool bibs to count, and a growing collection of shortie wool diaper covers. SHE’S GOTTEN ON BOARD THE CLOTH DIAPERING TRAIN!

The woman can shop.

Why we choose to use these items and encourage these habits is another issue entirely.

This compulsion of hers manifested itself in the form of Halloween costume purchasing at the end of last winter. All of the costumes went on sale, so obviously she had to buy all of them, including TWO of the same bee costume in size 9 months and 12 months, because DUH! The kid was gonna grow. Also, THEY WERE ONLY THREE DOLLARS. THREE DOLLARS! It’s as though they were giving them away.

Kind of, except not.

So we’ve had a stash of Halloween costumes just lying around a closet, awaiting the month of October so that they could be properly put to use.

I got a tad overzealous yesterday and decided that we needed to do a photo shoot of her in each costume so that we could decide what the heck she would wear on the actual day. This was poor planning on my part given that it was close to bedtime and she’s teething in a mac truck and thus grumpy grumperson.

Did not stop, Mama.  And made for some purdy priceless and pathetic pix (and alliterations, apparently).

So now, dear friends, what should our Sunny be this year for Halloween? As a refresher, last year she was a Ladybug.

Tough one to beat! Please please comment and let me hear your thoughts! And I’ll promise to stop torturing her with dress up, and thus save James the breath of telling me that she’s not a doll.

(Even though he’s totally wrong. Why else do you think I went through 9 months of life with a parasite and then 36 hours of labor and “the ring of fire” if not for the dress up privileges?)

Also, please note how absolutely thrilled she is about this process, and the ridiculous items we used to try to amuse her throughout.