I actually LOVE Disney/Pixar films…they contain just enough sass, snark, and sophisticated humor that, while I would rather be in the theater watching Gone Girl, I can easily laugh at the cleverly-placed humor for adults who have forked over $50 to take their families to the movies.) I appreciate all the Disney/Pixar greats, but last Halloween, we decided to create a family Halloween costume of the Incredibles, a family of super heroes. This feat (5 related costumes and all five of us in simultaneous costume without throwing complete fits for about 8 minutes) will forever remain epic in my mind. Ironically, it was my husband who merely posed for the Incredibles shot before returning to his everyday jeans to trick or treat. Lame, right? But I still love him!
This picture will, forever and ever amen, always make me laugh. Not only does it commemorate how we (mostly) looked when we moved to Arkansas, but even more so, I notice the nuances involved in this picture.
For example, that is our Golden retriever Lexi in the bottom left corner. She is wearing a Halloween sweater (yes, they make sweaters for 75 lb dogs), and photo-bombing, which she often does because she is the sweetest creature on the planet and never wants to be away from us for a second.
Feast your eyes on Tate’s (far right) external underwear fashion statement, and well, just the awesome pose in general. Those are Batman undies, and they didn’t make it through the night after the 18-month-long siege that was potty training this kid. General Patton couldn’t potty train this kid. Today, a year later, Tate will be patrolling the streets of our neighborhood as a (friendly) shark. And though we may need to stop the hayride to pee 800 times (sorry, sweet neighbors!), I bet his sweatpants will make it through.
Sarah, far left, practiced her super pose in the mirror for a week, deciding which stance was toughest (but still cute), and being proud that she stood out in a sea of princesses. Tonight, she, like 8 million other little girls, is going as Elsa. She will be the object of many a parental drinking game (“drink when you see an Elsa”/”drink when an Elsa visits your house”), but she will look like one in a million to me.
Last year, I (briefly) got my husband Jeff to wear tights in the spirit of rocking an awesome family Halloween costume. He works in accounting, so the tights were a bit of a stretch for him. “Super heroes do not wear khakis.” I actually said this to him. Out loud. He did not appreciate the humor. However, you should love the enthusiasm of his super stance as well. This man loves his family.
Baby Sawyer was only 6 months old when he made his super hero debut. Today, he is 18 months old, built like a linebacker, and runs everywhere he goes after his brother and sister (and dog). He will step out as a giraffe this evening, and though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know or care what his costume is, he looks adorable. And he could probably wear a burlap sack and flirt effectively with any girl he chose.
I hope you don’t miss the irony of last year’s me, the then-newly-minted stay at home mom, dressed as a super hero and holding a baby super hero. Guys, staying home with kids makes me feel like a super hero, and learning to manage and balance the crazy effectively is a super power all in itself. Is my house the cleanest? Ha-ha, you jest. Is all the laundry folded and beds neatly made every day? Not on your life. Are my kids happy, healthy, and awesome? Yep. In my mind, I can call myself a super mom then.
As we trick or treat tonight with our amazing neighbors, and even though our costumes don’t all Pinterest-y match this year, I love this little family of superheroes. Have a great Halloween, y’all!
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