Gertie is in Charge

The world really did all it could to try to get me to break up with Halloween this year. Not only did our trick-or-treating time get switched in a way that ticked off eeeeeevvvvvvvverybody (except the soccer moms who didn't want to get their preshussss shoes wet OH YEAH I SAID IT), there was so much costume drama.

SO. MUCH.

The source of about half that costume drama was a certain teenager who happens to live in my house. Let's call her "Alexis" because that's what her name is and she deserves to be called out publicly for said drama. Alexis has had a blissful existence for Mila's first five Halloweens because Alexis has been able to use her little sister as an accessory. Literally, Mila has always been Alexis' accessory for Halloween. Behold.

I told Alexis last year that she shouldn't get too used to this thing where she decides what she's going to be and then styles Mila around her. It was bound to end and THAT IT DID.

Mila had opinions this year. Her first opinion was to be a dragon, which I could have turned into a duo VERY easily. Alexis hated all of my ideas and was a total jerk about it. Which, let me just tell you that my idea for doing "Imagine Dragons" was FREAKING GENIUS. It's unfortunate that my own child doesn't recognize how clever I am.

When Mila then moved onto wanting to do an E.T. theme, Alexis was STILL being a jerk (she wanted to be Gertie and wasn't willing to even discuss other ways of getting the theme done). The girls wouldn't stop fighting about it, so I intervened. I told Alexis she could be a "Disgruntled Teen" for Halloween and LOOK! SHE ALREADY HAS THAT COSTUME! That left Mila open to do whatever she wanted, which seemed fair. Mila has done what Alexis wanted for five years; it was her turn to be in charge.

So I had a little dragon and a Disgruntled Teen and all was well. And then Halloween rolled around. The real Halloween, by the way, not that fake thing that we did on Saturday. Alexis made it all the way to 7:00 pm before a crack settled into her disgruntledness and she was suddenly willing to talk about the E.T. idea.

Mila had it all figured out. Mila was to be Gertie (because LOOK AT HER) and Alexis just needed a red sweatshirt because a stuffed E.T. came home with us from Universal Studios this summer. One striped t-shirt from Target later, we were in business.

The total cost of their group costume was under $20. Which, HUZZAH.

So now Alexis can save her Disgruntled Teen costume for next year and Mila can dress like a miniature Drew Barrymore forever and ever and we're all happy. FOR NOW.