Halloween Costumes For Days

This weekend, our family found ourselves at Target looking for a Halloween costume. We ended up finding something that fit Sloan perfectly. Well, when I say “fit” I mean personality wise – we had to take the actual costume back the next day because we needed a bigger size. But I digress (and no, we aren’t going to reveal what she is going to be just yet)…

As we were perusing the store, I ran into a co-worker. I showed her the costume and she remarked that the key to getting the most out of these annual purchases is to wear them year-round. I couldn’t agree more.

The co-worker explained that her young son found ways and excuses to wear old Halloween costumes during non-October dates. While she was saying this, Sid was nudging me in the side. My wife related to what our friend was saying, noting that her nerdy husband (based on old photos and what her mother-in-law told her) wore Halloween costumes way out of season as well.

I couldn’t dispute what Sid revealed. I didn’t just wear my old personal Halloween costumes during Christmas time or the dog days of summer, I also raided the costume closets of my friends as well. I loved dressing up in wacky ensembles for no reason at all, it was a defining characteristic of my childhood. Good thing I grew out of it…

Of course that is a lie.

Dressing up in costumes on random days didn’t stop after I turned 10. In fact, it ran well into my high school days. I had an alien costume that I would don, much to the enjoyment of my friends, up until I left the house to attend college. Not that going to an institution of higher learning made me mature; I still took the opportunity to put on ridiculous outfits during the offseason. I guess it goes without saying that the habit lasted well into adulthood, evidenced by my holiday message tradition that would require me to dress in outlandish costumes. But, with the ending of my holiday messages, I have started to act a little more my age.

For over a decade, I staged over the top photos to accompany holiday text messages. My Christmas Eve photos were always a little wacky.

Oh my, what did I do here?

I was not trying to discourage you from allowing your children to play dress up. I know the last thing you want is for your kid to turn into an adult with an inclination to wear old Halloween costumes and embarrass himself. But in reality, I just wanted to get you the most bang for your buck. Purchasing an elaborate Power Rangers costume might seem a little unnecessary for just one night but if your child can get hours and days of post-Halloween entertainment out of it, perhaps the investment is a sound one.

Happy Halloween costume hunting! Any guesses on Sloan’s costume? Don’t Blink.

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