Hot Dogs and Pink Pirates

Halloween 2015 was another year where I put off finding a legitimate costume for my 2 children so they have to scrounge around and do battle with other harassed looking Moms and their equally disappointed children at Target with a week to go and find some semblance of a costume that vaguely sparks their interest.
Your welcome, Berlin kids.

Just trying to teach you to use your time wisely.
Summer tried on a Shark costume and was outrageously adorable, however it was way to small.
We opted for some Pink Pirate Character from Jake and the Netherland Pirates.
At least that's what the beat up tag told me. She seemed pretty happy with it and it was pretty cute so, if she wasn't complaining, I certainly wasn't going to rain on her parade.
Steve was a bigger problem. As only a Type A perfectionist 8 year old can be.
"Jeeze, why did we wait so long?? I wanted to be Harry Potter!"
"Well, Im not about to pay 10$ for glasses along with a rush fee. Next year, I promise to be a better maternal figure in your life."
"Fine. I want to be a Hot Dog or Eggs and Bacon."

He tried on both and we realized that the Hot Dog was more hilarious than the Eggs and Bacon.
We were dying of laughter and he wore it throughout the store, in the car and all weekend along with every day after school, up until Halloween. We were getting our moneys worth out of that thing!
The day of Halloween is always really touch and go up until you leave the house.
Is it going to rain or not? How many layers should I dress the kids in? We don't have an umbrella. Why don't we have an umbrella? Will anyone know what Summer is if I dress her up, but then put her in her big puffy jacket so she doesn't freeze?
The list goes on and on, much like the day.
We go to my Moms neighborhood, its a great residential area where the houses are bursting with children ready to trick or treat and Dads that like pyrotechnics.
Summer was really ready to rock. This was her first Halloween that she really understood what was about to go down. Strangers giving me candy? Hell Yes.
Steve was ready to tear apart the whole neighborhood, he knows the drill.
We met my Mom and my G-ma stayed back to hand out candy to the endless loop of doorbell ringing and dog barking.
The weather held up for a while so I just grabbed a jacket for Summer and didn't make her wear it, I made Steve wear his base layers for skiing, he could just tuck his arms in and be nice and cozy.
Jealous.

Summer was a little apprehensive at first, but after the third house or so her apprehension slid into a manic fervor of doorbell ringing and skipping.
I tried to keep my eyes on both of them in a sea of running costumed little people and groups of parents huddled together on the sidewalk.
I shouted, "Help your sister!" and "Hold her hand!" more times than I can count.
Just as the evening was reaching a crescendo, Summer eating the candy through her bag and Steve sweating down his forehead, swinging his candy bag around like a deadly weapon, the skies opened up.

It was rain that sticks to everything, not quite a drizzle, not quite a gale, however, enough to make us hearty Washingtonians miserable.
I let Summer do a few more houses but she was soaked to the bone and My Mom and I weren't fairing any better.
Charlie stayed behind with Steve the Hot Dog, which was getting rave reviews from all the doorsteps by the way, to finish up the houses.
We shivered back home and Summer was astonished that this mountain range of candy was all hers.
I let her and once Steve got back, eat as much of it as they wanted.
We piled into the car and I turned around to see the two of them with sticky Gobstopper fingers and chocolate smeared faces, candy bags in laps, fast asleep.

Cheers.