Modern Mom: Scary Costumes

I have to admit I’m a bit afraid of Halloween costumes. And truth be told, a fairy princess costume is just as scary to me as a wicked witch. What scares me about costumes actually has nothing at all to do with the creepy masks or the ghoulish disguises. What freaks me out is the prospect of creating my kids’ costumes.

My colleagues have been talking about their children’s costumes for days. One made a ladybug outfit for her baby; another “threw together” a Bob the Builder getup. I can not sew a button. Really. Which puts me at a great disadvantage on this holiday. Sure, I know I could go to one of the dozens of Halloween stores that mysteriously appear after Labor Day, but I simply can’t justify spending fifty dollars on a costume that my 6-year-old will wear once. I come by this shortcoming honestly; I was a mime every single year from first grade through eighth. I wore all black and painted my face white. Piece of cake. But a mime won’t work for my son. He informs me that’s just not cool. So far he’s thinking Darth Vader, Spiderman, or an airplane. Does anybody know of a “cool” costume that a novice like me could pull off?