It is time for a Don’t Blink annual tradition—the Halloween costume reveal of my children. This year marks the fifth time we have had the pleasure (or stress?) of dressing both kids for the spookiest day on the calendar. Although I usually publish this blog post on October 31, I am offering it a couple days early this year due to Halloween falling on a Thursday which I usually reserve for a rundown.

Our costumes this year are courtesy of Target. Although I prefer a more thrifty approach like we pursued in 2022, I realize that occasionally you have to start fresh. Drum roll please…

Introducing the 2024 Halloween costumes of Beau and Sloan.

How do you start fresh when you are the same thing for the third straight year in a row? You totally transform the basics of your costume! Just like in 2022 and 2023, Sloan is a witch. But instead of a black-clad witch from two years ago or an orange-clade witch from last year, Sloan is a battery-powered light up witch. Her costume is adorned with glittery stars to give her a celestial look. The costume helps her stand out from other witches and it helps me keep track of her in the dark. Even though Sloan flirted with dressing up as Wednesday Addams (like her mom did in 2015) or a cupcake, she kept with tradition.

For the third year in a row, Sloan is a witch.

As for Beau, he shocked us all by opting for something other than Spider-Man. After practically living in his 2023 costume for months and months after Halloween passed, he has embraced something new. This Thursday he will be a cuddly, cyclops monster. What you can’t see from the below photo is the big tail in the back. Beau loves to shake that thing with unrivaled passion. He also enjoys charging people head-first—even those he doesn’t know—to “impale” them with his horns.

Beau is a monster this year.

I think a witch and a monster make a dynamic duo. Hopefully they can keep themselves out of trouble and endear themselves to neighbors as they trick-or-treat. I am still in negotiations over whether I receive the candy from every third or every fourth house they visit. Don’t Blink.