My Son's First Halloween

Ah Halloween that magical time of year, streets lined with pumpkins and kids in colorful costumes. It was my first Halloween, actually my son's first Halloween. I had married my high school sweetheart, and a few years later we had a son. My high school sweetheart was the foreign exchange student from Russia. Most Russians tend to be quite conservative and do not celebrate Halloween. However, since our son Alexei was also American and old enough I thought it would be perfect to let him experience the joy and wonders of Halloween.

I love Halloween, dressing up is super fun and for a day you get to pretend to be someone else for a day. Perhaps your favorite superhero, or that crazy person on YouTube who dresses as a giant pineapple and plays pranks on people. Either way, it is great to use your creativity and come up with something utterly unique or fun.

I remember as a kid dressing up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, I had strawberry red hair. As I grew older, I went through that tomboy phase dressing up as Tom Sawyer or a pirate captain. Peter knew about Halloween, but it was a thing they did in Russia. I really wanted my son to have the perfect Halloween. I spent weeks pouring over sewing patterns, trying to find the perfect costume for my little goul. I wanted something sweet and adorable, and not something that would terrify my son, or not be something that a four year wouldn't wear. I really didn't want to have a meltdown or a hissey fit hours before we were to venture out. The worst thing in the world, would be to have my little guy, refusing to wear the costume, and stomping around the room or screaming until his face turned blue.

I had asked what my son wanted to be Halloween, he of course wasen't sure. It was a hard decesion for a four year old, maybe a superhero, no a robot. At first he wanted to be a robot, and then later in the day changed his mind. He was very indescive. I decided that I would choose for him.

I had picked out what I thought was the absoulte cutest costume- a little bumble bee. He would be super cute, and make all of the soccer mom's in our neighborhood jealous. Ah, yes Peter, my husband thought he looked more like a hornet than a bee. I had spent hours, sewing it and resewing it, it was hard work and a lot of late nights but it was worth it. I would have the best dressed kid on my little block, perhaps win the elusive "Best Costume on Ivy Drive" prize. Which included a free night of babysitting, and a coupon to the local Ivy Street Dinner.

And so at nearly sunset, we went out. Alexei was in his stroller, he seemed perfectly fine. Kids were dressed up as the usual things- cowboys, and superheroes. I thought I saw a spotted dinosaur, and his human rider, and also a brilliant shimmering flying unicorn who also was a pirate, so a pirate-corn? Kids are really creative with their costumes. Alexei had marveled at each costume, this wasen't like home. Of course, he had dressed up before. Once he had taken a bath towel, tied it around himself as a cape and pretended he was "Super Alexei" defender of Backyardia, and fought the evil Woolfie. (Our old sweet husky, Kida). He marveled at each costume. A kid was SuperMan, or a ghost. To him this was superfun and a giant game of pretend dress up.

We went to one house, and a kind old lady gave us handmade caramel apples. What a treat! Then down the lane we went, our goodies in tow. Everything was fine, until we saw it. An adult in a giant fluffy bunny costume. To most bunnies are beign creatures and lovers of carrots. Of course, to my son Alexei this was a living nightmare. I wouldn't say he has a phobia of rabbits, but doesn't like them.

It all started a few months earlier when we visted the local family farm in the springtime. There were the usual things- duckies, horsies, and cows. We came to the bunny hutch. The bunnies were super cute, there was even one that that had freckles. Alexei sprung from his stroller, and immedateily ran to a sweet little caramel colored bunny. I helped him hold it, he was really excited to hold the bunny. Then that is when it all started. The sweet old farmer came hopping up to us dressed as a giant bunny. "Hello boys and girls, I am Peter CottonTail". Alexei took one look at it, and had a look of horror. "Momma, it's going to eat me". He dropped the bunny and soon hide behind me. What was suppose to be a fun outing turned into a nightmare. I of course reassured him that the man in the bunny costume was nice, but that didn't help.

Fast forward to know, and my little guy is facing the same fear, a giant bunny who could possibly gobble him up in one big bite. And soon my little guy didn't want to go Trick-or-Treating and wanted to go home as soon as possible. And of course, it just had to hop up right over to us. 'Hello, little Alexei' Said a familiar voice in Russian. I knew it was Lel, our Russian neighbor. He took of the giant bunny head, revealing a tall man with glasses. This of course didn't help the situtation. "The bunny ate Mr. V" Alexei said horrified. 'Still afraid of bunnies, huh' Lel said with a sheepish grin. I nodded. Of course once I explained that it was just a costume my little guy calmed down. Phew, over his fear of bunnies. Of course, that is until he saw a little dressed as a bunny astronaunt. "Momma, that girl was eaten by a bunny". And here we go again, I could tell it was going to be a long night.