If we had grandkids, different story. If middle was home on 10/31, different story. Middle is big on Halloween. I am sure her kids will be too. Youngest would dress and participate if she had something to attend, just is not big on answering the door on Halloween.
The story of the costumes goes back many years.
I happened by a good quality costume rental place going out of business, many years ago. I bought cowgirl and Indian for middle.
Later, we found a 60's girl from a Goodwill. We added princess dresses. Penguin. Swiss Girl.
Then last spring I happened on a series of baby/toddler dinosaur costumes, in really great shape, like new, at different garage sales. Just a few dollars each. I bought them. They washed beautifully.
This fall, looking for classroom stuff for middle, I happened on a house with five costumes hanging on a rack - dinosaur/dragon, bear, lion, tiger, frog. Toddler to younger grade school sizes. When I asked the garage sale guy he said they were gone, a woman had said she was coming back for all of them. I asked if she had paid. When he said "no", I left my name and number and said if she did not return, to call and I would be right over. She was a no show. When he called at 8:30pm, I went flying out the door with a hoodie over my pj's and youngest in tow. $6 each. Had never been worn. Really happy.
I found a Lady Bug at GoodWill a couple weeks ago. The costumes at GoodWill are usually very used looking. This one was like new.
I am picking ones where sweats/major clothes can be worn under them.
Over the weekend, our little 6 year old wore full clothes, and a raincoat under the tiger (same tiger costume pictured above) and was very happy. The costume showed, the raincoat was under, umbrella was over. Costume got a little wet, child stayed dry and happy.
When they got home, middle's boy set up a fan in the garage and put the tiger on the (pool duds) drying racks. He went out every so often and flipped the costume so all sides dried.
When middle saw all of them, each time I found them at sales, she was really pleased. The week of the baby/toddler dinosaurs, they were lined up, on hangers, in her closet drying. The week of the jungle animals, they were hanging in the kitchen.
Middle said - are you going to keep collecting?
I said yes.
She said - so we will never have to do costumes? We will be able to say - go to grandma's and pick out what you would like?
Yep, that's the idea.
Very, very fun.
