The phantasmagoria of costumes started early for us. Saturday night was our friend Kenny's 50th birthday; Superheroes and Villains. The cast of characters included Obama and Mitt, Lady Gaga, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Wolverine. Kevin and I went as
Dick Dastardly and
Penelope Pitstop. I usually don't do cutesy costumes like Penelope, but I had already delved into the Superpowers in previous years.
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| HAY-ULP! Penelope and Dick (me and Kevin) "Drat and Double Drat! Mutley - do something" |
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| Harley Quinn |
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| Parasol-twirling Penny meets kick-ass Lisbeth (me and Amber) |
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| Cuff off: The Wonderwomans |
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| Leaf off: The Poison Ivys |
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| Elektra and Esmeralda |
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| Grim Reaper, Sith Warrior and Lady Gaga |
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| Clark Kent and Cruella |
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| Robin (Kenny) the birthday boy...with Obama |
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| Esmeralda arrives with Zorro |
Funnily enough the
Wacky Races costumes shipped from England, where a
whole town runs a real costumed race every year...but many of our American friends had never heard of Dick and Penelope's exploits. Wonder why its so much more popular over the pond? Penelope is not what I would normally call a superhero but at least she evaded the 'tache-twirling Dick, zooming off in her Compact Pussycat which was essentially a beauty parlour on wheels. You also have to be pretty brave to wear this much nylon as even a whiff of a Jack'o'Lantern on that fabric would send you up in flames. Conversely, friends have to be pretty brave around you as you sweat like Miss Piggy in the Bahamas.
Cy spent most of Saturday waiting at the front door for the UPS truck to deliver his costume, a green full-body stocking. It arrived on Sunday and you would not find a happier lad. What is he? We're still not sure... a rabid sports fan? It had taken him two weeks to find what he wanted. Every morning he would get up at 6am and head down to the computer to flick through the costume sites. Dissatisfied with the offerings he would call out: "Next!" and scroll down another page.
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| Is it here yet? |
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| Cy with Tallulah (left, Cookie Monster) and her friend Ariana (Elmo) |
I sat at home a lot today when I should be in five other places...doing a bit of a Halloween humbug. I find this time of year strangely stressful with all the frantic activities and riding the sugar peaks and valleys with the kids. Why can nothing with kids be simple or - dare I say it - amateurish these days?Everything is ramped up. This morning was a doozer. A random person went off at me, presumably just because she was in a foul mood. Dressed as a witch, natch.
In keeping with the theme of my Halloween humbug thing - I have a question: what is it with parents who let their daughters as young as 12 dress in those ghastly
Hoochie Mama outfits? Low cut, skirt too short, laced-up bodice, shoes too high - yuck!
Tallulah wouldn't let me dress in costume (I was going to be Dick Dastardly this morning) to see her play at school. "The kids dress up, the parents just come normal" she informed me. I'm the embarrassing mother who dresses up dorky. That's one of my present and continuing goals - along with always being the last to leave a party (I danced the last dance on Saturday night.) The bar is so, so very low, my friends.
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| Last dance dork... |
On a more serious note, hope all is okay with the readers on the East Coast in the wake of Superstorm Sandy - let us know how you are doing.
That's seems like a great party! Have a great Halloween!
ReplyDeleteWe don't do Halloween here..although my daughter did a fabulous Mexican day of the dead to her face and hair for a party last night and skyped me before going out...I'm beginning to think a bit of dressing up and letting loose would be a good thing.....although being the last to dance and leave?? my oh my you have energy miss thing.
ReplyDeleteI got a bit stressed out myself getting costumes organized for mine this year ... especially the older ones who wanted it all done at the last minute!! Your kids look great and I am sure you enjoyed the birthday party so much:)
ReplyDelete~Anne
So impressed with how everybody dressed up, it looks like a fun birthday party. I barely remembered and got myself in chambray and distressed denim and a scarf for my hair to be Rosie and called it a day.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the too young hoochie mamas - yuck.
That is very cute Teddy waited alongside Cy. I think Cy looks like the ghosts you might get a glimpse of when they hunt for them with infrared light in haunted houses.
I LOVE these photos because I love seeing that you're all dressing up--I keep reading blog posts by expats living in America who are complaining that they 'just don't get Halloween' and I think 'what's to get? Just have fun with it!' And that Penelope costume is perfect, you wear pink so well! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlways the best parties! My kids both wore morphsuits as well (like Cy), though I clearly misread the sizing info and purchased morpshsuits for 5yos. Form fitting to say the least!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the young hoochie mamas just make me sad. I wish the mamas of such mamas would instill and little confidence in self-respect in those sweet girls.
Wacky Races was one of my fave TV shows. Penelope, Dick Dastardly, Peter Perfect and most of all Muttley and his laugh! You make a fine looking Penelope. I'd have gone as your Muttley.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the way some parents let their children leave the house when it isn't Halloween!
Haha...I love your son's costume, it's awesome!! The fact that no one knows what he is, makes it ever better!! Bless him :) x
ReplyDeleteI had a number of very amateur Halloweenies last night. They just held out plastic bags and expected something to go in them.
ReplyDeleteThe American expats here complain that the French just don't 'get' Halloween, but really, why should they?
It was introduced by a number of shops several years ago and was highly criticised for being yet another event for commercial exploitation, and, worse, one from America. The French get very uppity about American customs/traditions being brought over.
Anyway, your party looks great fun, you make a fab PP even if you were probably alone on the dance floor at the end because it... :)
I had completely forgotten about Penelope Pitstop! I love your costume :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I couldn't agree more with the no-hoochie-momma standard--- I find it seriously disturbing how over-sexed we are as a society and how we pass it on to our kids. Shouldn't costumes be fun?! Or spooky?! (I will get off my soap box now)
You make an awesome last dance dork. As always, you have the best pictures of any blog. I can feel the fun you are all having right through my screen. Loved the Lizbeth costume! And, of course, Penelope Pitstop!
ReplyDeleteLove your costume Jody and the party looks like a blast :) You always capture the perfect moments with your kids.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend ahead.
leslie
Wow! You guys went ALL out! So neat!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, my heart is breaking hearing about all those effected by Sandy. So sad.
Ugh, totally. Stress.Me.Out.
ReplyDeleteJust going to two halloween classroom parties at the same time with a toddler, was making me all sweaty and irritable. I think I need to blog about it..
You definitely do Leslie. I found pre-school even more stressful actually as there were so many more events and parties and weeping children. (Now it's just me with the wobbly lip!)
DeleteWell, the good news is that everyone survived. Delightfully.
ReplyDeleteI'm really bah, humbug about the whole event, give or take a saint (or two).
Loved your costume! Cy looks hilarious!
ReplyDeleteMy friend made a Monsters Inc costume for her 6ft 5in son for a party. It took about 5 miles of blue fur and a lot of swearing!
ReplyDeleteFur flying! (Couldn't resist)
DeleteOh my gosh you both looked so great - I used to have such a girl crush on Penelope Pitstop, she's so sassy!
ReplyDeleteCy's costume is the most awesome thing I have ever laid eyes on. And you look gorgeous in your garb! :)
ReplyDeleteYour comment was super sweet and made my day!
ReplyDeleteI love your costumes! I knew exactly who you were!!
Apparently the avg American spends $80 on costumes--for one person, so I can't even imagine the jump with kids in tow. I agree--every year has to top last year's! I remember having homemade costumes--mine this year was done for free, actually.
Elle, yes I was hearing that on NPR yesterday! With some people spending $200 - the recession has surely not hit Halloween, that's for sure. That is a heck of a lot! Plus $50 a household on candy!
ReplyDeleteI loved the Lisbeth costume and Cy's!
ReplyDeleteThe girls this year were a ladybug and monkey. For a brief moment (2 houses) Lauren was Snow White.
I really enjoyed your Halloween blog. Yes, it seems as if everything is always so ramped up for kids growing up these days, whether it be with school, sports activities or Halloween. I remember having a plastic costume with a sweaty plastic mask chosen in aisle 2 of the supermarket when I was a kid, trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, eating candy for two days and it was a done deal. Yes, I saw the hoochie mama costumes. Halloween has grown into this sort of perverse holiday with so many sex and even s & m overtones, especially with many of the adult female costumes. It is, still, however, nice for our kids to go round this neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI had a candy hangover this morning. That stuff is poisonous. I am trying not to sucumb to a second day of milky way bars. I hope I hang on!
Ramblings from K...
hahahahahahaha....!!!! Trying not to laugh too hysterically or else the hubs would think I've gone bonkers. LOVED Cy in his green man costume. And that last photo? Totally cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteI was at a mall (the horror! First time in ages) today and was horrified to see these young tweens (it's half term break) with their faces caked with make up. What the hell?! It's absolutely freezing outside and the shorts are so ..... short that I could see their bare butt. Am I getting too old and missing the fashion trend here?
I love these! WHat a fun party! I am so glad you came over to my blog as I love yours!!!!
ReplyDeleteI must ask - Kiwi? Are you of NZ descent?
All the way from Ohope Beach in the Bay of Plenty with the pav-laden accent to prove it..
DeleteLove the costumes! Looks like such a fun party. I totally agree about the costumes for young girls - why so slutty?? Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Wacky Races when I was a kid - I thought it was an American cartoon.
ReplyDeleteVery fun, creative costumes! Looks like a lovely Halloween, indeed. xo style, she wrote
ReplyDeleteI love cy's costume. Wacky races was such a fun programme to watch and I thought Penelope was such a sophisticated name when I was young.
ReplyDeletehow fun!! i love cy's costume. we had a halloween block party this year, but a lot of people are shy about dressing up!
ReplyDelete[oomph.]
Ah how I loved The Wacky Races. You make a very fine Penelope Pitstop.
ReplyDeleteI haven't dressed up in ages. My favourite costume was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. I went to that party with my husband in Russell Crowe Braveheart costume - an unusual pairing,
And somehow it works!
DeleteJody - I remember Penelope and Dick! We were allowed unlimited Saturday morning cartooning (Thanks Mom) and with only 4 stations we could watch all that was offered.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I would not have thought of these characters on my own... but, when you bring it to mind I can! :-)
You have a great group of friends lucky duck. Love 'em.
Linda, in New Zealand we only had the one channel and it was most of the crud from the US and Britain but we watched it anyway...
Deletei love it and hate it at the same time. so freaking tiring... by the end of it, i'm completely wiped out- and the house is a total disaster.
ReplyDeletesadly, our weekend was not a time for recovery either... as we had to turn around on thursday and prepare for a family girl scout camping trip.
all that aside- i love cy's costume, and OMG- yours & the rest of the party-goers!!
In end I didn't make the trick or treating in the evening, I was so exhausted by the day!
DeleteJody,
ReplyDeleteyou are the perfect Penelope Pitstop! I used to love that show. You guys look so cute and Cy and the girls too.
I have to totally agree about Halloween. It's gotten too much! Festivals at school, parties both weekends and kids are sick of their costumes before they even get to Trick-or Treat! I also get tired of so much candy and it's impossible to take it away once they are older. My kids basically eat candy 24/7 for a week. Of course they are totally messed up too.
And while I'm on it, those sleazy girl costumes are my pet peeve. Even the women's costumes are sexed up. Everything is ,"sexy doctor," or ," sexy nun." What happened to regular costumes? It makes me ill. If I had a daughter I'd never let her go out like that.
Sorry for the rant. Love that you enjoy life and are the last to leave the dance floor! You've got your priorities right!
xo
KIm
I thought I took all their candy after the first night - but they must have had a secret stash somewhere because there were wrappers galore all over the house for days!. Yes the girls' dodgy costumes...ugh. Also 50 Shades were out in force with the S&M Mums.
ReplyDeleteI never commented on this great post. The costumes were great and the friends were amazing. Glad everyone made it to my hubby's birthday. He rocked his Robin costume and everyone was great. Lisbeth so special. Wacky Races and many more. Love it all!!
ReplyDelete