Halloween Pt. II: A Trip Down Halloween Memory Lane

Halloween!  Everyone's favorite non-religious, non-day-off-work, not-truly-a-holiday holiday.   Also one of those holidays that separates the grinches from the holiday nerds. 

I think the most lasting lesson that John has taken from college is that the importance of going all-out on Halloween costumes.  Every year, he spends literally months planning his costume, down to the smallest detail.  Being married to him, he, of course, expects me to follow suit in this level of costume design.  I'm no grinch, so I give it the old college try (pun totally intended.  har har.), but his costumes are consistently way better than mine.  And honestly, probably better than yours, too.

You know how dads always have something that they've been desperately waiting to teach their kids?  Like, a lot of guys are so anxious to play catch with their sons that they buy them baseball gloves for their first Christmas even though their little baby hands can't even grab the binky yet?  Well, for John, the thing he's been desperately waiting to teach Joe and Ian is how to truly own a costume.

So, in honor of Ian's first Halloween, Joe's first trick-or-treating Halloween, and John's first true opportunity to impart this lifelong lesson, here is a trip down memory lane for some Halloween's past.

2011

Reverse chronological order makes sense, so let's start with this year's costume.  Nascar fan, complete with a mostly gone six pack of Bud.  Can you see the koozie?  It's a 3D deer koozie.  There is seriously a deer with antlers sticking out of the side.  The mustache was intricately fine-tuned to the perfect level of, eh-hem, trashiness.  All in all, a pretty great costume.  It actually won him $150 and a free happy hour at his work costume contest, so I call that a win.

2010

 I hijacked Joe's outfit last year, which is why this year is John's first teaching opportunity.  Cute, right?  He hated it.  This smile is fake.

2009

The year before Joe was born:  Malibu's Most Wanted.  I wish I could say that the shirt was part of the costume, but that's actually a real live Texas State Fair purchase.  I think he really sells this one with the look on his face. 

Have to say, I don't think I did too that year bad either - I was the pregnant Kardashian.  Thrown together, but the actual baby in there helped.

2008

 Halloween 2008: Larry Byrd.  The "mustache" is real, or as real as John will ever be able to grow it.  Too bad this picture doesn't capture the socks that had been hand-colored with green permanent marker to look like basketball socks, and a pair of old school Converse.

2007

This time, the mustache is supplemented with marker, or makeup, or something.  Anyway, he's that guy from The Big Lebowski, you know, the Vietnam one?  His name escapes me at this moment...Walter Sobchak, John tells me.  Either way, I think Daniel steals the show here, because that is a true blue sweater straight from his dad's closet.

Not a Halloween picture.

Those are as far back as my Halloween pictures go, but here's one more random costume for good measure.  Law school 80s party.  Why?  I don't remember, but there was probably a good reason at the time.  

So there you go.  Joe and Ian will learn from the master.