That Girl Is A Batgirl

Halloween in our house begins early every year. The children love spooky decorations, scary treats, pumpkins, ghosts, black cats, and, of course, all of the anticipation regarding what they are going to "be." Z decided at least a month ago that he would be Ben 10 and has never wavered. Not once. I purchased the only component of his costume that we didn't already own, and he is ready for the big day (and the multiple costume-wearing opportunities preceding it). M changes her mind often, sometimes several times during a single conversation. So far this year, she has "decided to be:"
- a cat
- a cowgirl
- a pirate
- Spiderman
- Superman
- a witch
- a duck
- a lion
- a tiger
- a monkey
- Thomas the Tank Engine
- a werewolf (yikes!)
- an ice cream cone (!?)
- Optimus Prime
- an alien
- a mummy
- a vampire
- a spider
and probably more that I can't recall right now.

The funniest costume "decision" came while the kids and I were driving in the car one day, and the song Dangerous by Kardinal Offishall featuring (like every other song lately) Akon. The lyrics contain, "That girl is so dangerous, that girl is so dangerous, that girl is a bad girl." You can search "Dangerous by Akon" on YouTube to hear it. Z determined that the girl was so dangerous because she's a BATGIRL and everyone runs from her because they are very afraid. When M heard that, she had to be Batgirl. She absolutely insisted.

Shortly after the Batgirl incident, the disturbing vampire phase began. It lasted for a solid 3 days. This morning she declared that she was going to be a cat (again). I refuse to make or buy a costume at this point, so her choices in the end may be limited by the costumes and items we have around the house.

I should be pleased, I know, that my daughter is a strong-willed girl who is not easily influenced. This will serve her well as a quality for succeeding in life. Additionally, it will prove useful in driving her parents completely insane when she reaches her tweens and teens, but for now she is still two. She is two, and aside from her very first Halloween, I have not been able to successfully influence her costume. Last year she was Spidermangirl (not Spiderman and definitely not Spidergirl). She would accept no other suggestion. She's not a child who accepts even perceived choice in a matter such as this: what she is going to be on the one day she can be anything. The whole choice, with everything in the world available to her (yes, including ice cream cones) must be completely hers. I have to admit I am a tiny bit proud. I am also very, very aware of the implications that this strong personality trait will have on the greater parenting challenges we are sure to face as she grows older and the consequences of her choices become more serious. Fortunately, she is blessed/cursed with parents who can be as headstrong as she. And, yes, I am fully aware that this has most likely been inherited. My father occasionally refers to M as my "payback." Of course, he means this in a most loving way.