Decisions, Decisions

This is my first Halloween with a baby. I spent more time than I should have perusing around town and around the internet for a costume for her. I thought of a lady bug, a chili pepper, a penguin, and a kitty.
Then I went to an early Halloween party. Most of the kids did not arrive in costume but changed into them upon arrival. I did not have Ms. Foo's costume yet but what I saw at the party made me nix it all together.
The older kids, 7 and up, were ok, thrilled, actually to be in costume. And the baby who was 8 weeks old seemed perfectly content in her little Pumpkin Sack costume. But then there were the toddlers. 6 months, 8 months, 18 months, 2 years old. They screamed and cried, pulled at the duck head piece before mom could get it on, or mooed in their cow costume for two minutes then wanted it off, tearing at the neck, whining, jumping up and down.
They were hot, uncomfortable and unhappy.
I was glad I had decided just to paint Ms. Foo's face.
Easy, right?
Ha! Surely you jest!
I had planned on a full out tiger striped, whiskered, red-nosed, freckled little kitty face.
I was only able to accomplish two overly thick, squiggly black whiskers on each cheek and a smeared red nose that creeped off to the sides and three red dots on each cheek.
Every time I put the make-up brush close to her face, she thought I was giving her something to eat and kept following it with her mouth.
When I put it to her cheek, she turned the other way. But I finally got something on.
She looked so cute! She even laughed at herself in the mirror!
Then I put on her coat and strapped her into her stroller.
Off to the subway. When we finally got settled in, I lifted to cold-protection plastic cover and looked at her.
The sides of her winter coat and hat were full of black and red paint and her face just looked, well, dirty. Like she had been playing in the mud.
I laughed.
I love Halloween!