Cute Witch, Tigger, Or Freddy Krueger?

Halloween is just around the corner! Nicole and I have started the process of selecting a costume for Haley. Its pretty obvious that it won't be long before we are omitted from this decision making process altogether. We noticed that the big Halloween costume store opened in our mall a few weeks ago, so we made a trip there tonight to see what they had to offer.

Upon entering the store, I was a little worried about Haley's reaction to some of the displays. There was a great deal of ultra-realistic scary stuff in every corner of the store. Severed heads, fake blood, zombies, and latex demons that would make Iron Maiden proud, just to name a few. But Haley paid none of it any mind, going so far as to pick up a gory severed head in a veil (the tag called it "The Bride's Corpse") and carry it around with her. (Submissions nominating me for Parent-Of-The-Year can be made to...) One woman even commented to me, "Your daughter is so brave!" This as Haley is poking the rubbery brain of a plastic skull nearby. "Squishy, Daddy!" That's my girl.

No decisions were made tonight about Haley's costume, but we did get some good ideas. Among the frontrunners: a pirate, a witch, an angel, a bee, Cinderella, Snow White, and a Care Bear.

I think this is going to be the first Halloween where Haley really "gets it" and I'm really looking forward to it. From pumpkin carving to trick-or-treating, I can't wait!