Happy Haunting!

I learned this year a lesson as a mom. Boston wore his "dress up" Darth Vader costume to our neighborhood "trunk-or-treat" Well, this wasn't his costume, he has had it for a year and uses it to play star wars, and the mask is the real big voice changer toy one not just a "costume" peice and he has tons of Light sabers that he plays with of course, so anyway, at preschool the next day was his Halloween party and he wanted to wear his Darth Vader costume and I had bought him this cute dead pirate one that I wanted him to wear because he couldn't wear his mask for Darth Vader at school anyways, and I wanted him to look cute or cool or whatver. Even earlier in the season, he had wanted to be Jango Fett or someone and I wouldn't let him because his friend from preschool was being that and I didn't want them being the same. Seriously, why do I as a parent even care, the kids in his class wouldn't care what he was and would think anything was "cool", it's not like any other moms are sitting there judging me so WHY do I push it so hard. He also went though a phase of wanting to be a dinosaur that was my little brothers from when we were kids and I thought it looked "babyish" and not as "cool" as superheros or whatever else his friends were being so I told him no he could just wear that for playtime dress up. Seriously? Again, even if he did wear the dino costume, none of the $ year ols are going to care! So I sent a kid off to school practically dragging him kicking and screaming to carpool to go to school for the Halloween Party. He was not a happy camper and neither was I. Was this worth it? Well...actually it turned out fine, he had fun and wore his costume for Halloween only a little bit grudgingly. BUT, I guess my job as a mom is to pick my battles, and if it is about my kids happiness and what is important to him, that should for sure come before my pride or opportunity for a cute photo. It was still a fun holiday and I am glad it is over!