She talks to wolves...

My mom is one of those creative DIY types that’s super great at Halloween. My brothers and I basically never had a store-bought costume, and pretty much never wanted one – except for that time I lobbied hard for a pair of cat ears attached to a headband to have one just like my best friend. Honestly, though, if we weren’t wearing something homemade, we were wearing something inherited – just ask me about the one Halloween I was alienated by my peers for being a mothball-smelling bunny, or the time my middle brother went as a perfect miniature matador.

There were so many glorious Halloweens of trick-or-treating in detailed and creative costumes! One year, I insisted on going as the Childlike Empress from The NeverEnding Story – and my mom pulled it off with a bunch of spare silk, bobby pins, and costume jewelry. Another (much earlier) year, she turned me into a bag of M&Ms with a transparent trash bag and a bunch of balloons. (Which she filled with helium. When I was TINY. I think she just wanted to see me float.) On yet another, she made me a mermaid costume that involved sewing me into the tail on Halloween night. It was so sparkly! But hard to walk in.

Then there’s this gem from the mid-90’s:

My costume wasn’t elaborate that year, and no one knew what I was anyway. I dressed up as a Wolfwalker from Tara K. Harper’s book of the same name, so mostly I ran around chaperoning my brothers in a cape with a sword and a hopefully inscrutable expression. Sans wolf, sadly. My brothers, though! They were big fans of Biker Mice from Mars that year, and mom came up with their costumes on the fly while dealing with 4 kids AND working nights as an ER nurse. Those helmets are styrofoam and plastic wrap, and they’ve even got the gloves (with one pseudo-metal arm on bro #2). The only thing missing was an eye-patch. My brothers were so chuffed; hell, I’m still impressed decades later.

My mom is among the best at Halloween, is what I’m saying.

Now that I have a wee nephew about the place, I’m looking forward to seeing what all of us can collaborate on for his future Halloweens. I’m sure whatever costumes may come, they’re going to be amazing.

Hit the comments to share your impressive costumes of Halloween past!

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