Flash forward one year. A Halloween catalog arrived in September, and you would have thought that it was Toys R Us Christmas catalog. They picked the catalog as their bedtime story, so we went through each page and talked about the different costumes. I quickly realized that they were now absolutely over being anything that seemed remotely cute, and what they really wanted to be were superhero fighting guys (and possibly a princess - but that is another post). Now, I have to admit that when they turned 4, I opened Pandora's Box, and started letting them watch Cartoon Network non-PBS fare. So I shouldn't be at all surprised that a fluffy dog costume now holds ZERO appeal over the possibility of Star Wars Storm Troopers or Transformers.
I started in on the negotiations. "A" decided that he wanted to be Batman. I looked at the costume and decided it was funny and fairly innocuous, and agreed. "S", however, decided that he *must* be Wolverine or die. For you parents of twin girls uninitiated, Wolverine is an X-man, and his appeal is that he has long daggers that extend from his knuckles. I took one look, and thought of all the possible stabbing targets - the dogs, the brother, French toast - and nixed it. But, one day of tears and pleading wore me down. I told "S" he could be Wolverine, but that he would not be able to play with the claws (except for the picture below!) Score Sam: 1, Mom: 1/2.We brought our treasures home, and the boys could not have happier. I love their new costumes, but I'm just a little wistful on how quickly they grow up, and on how much one year can make a difference. I try to remember what all the parenting books say, and to enjoy each stage as it arrives, because it will be gone in an instant. So this year, we embrace their inner superhero, because who knows what next year will bring!
Original post to Mad About Multiples.
