Maybe Batman and Robin next year? Hopefully the power of suggestion still works.

To the Batcave! is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

He ran everywhere. He kept up with the older kids without whining or hesitation. He found his principal, another Kindergarten teacher and a specials teacher — and hugged them all. He ran into friends and gave them high-fives while yelling loudly and being of general good cheer. He owned his costume and regularly spouted, “Luigi time!,” while tipping his hat and punching the sky with his other fist. As he ran back to the adults waiting on the road, his feet rarely touched the ground.

He was BigBrother, through and through.

He walked the whole way — for the first Halloween ever. Sometimes he was upset when the bigger kids left him alone, but he kept on keeping on. His manners were impeccable; not only did candy givers receive a “thank you” but quite often they got a “Happy Halloween” to boot. As he got tired near the end, he was happy to let the older kids go to the houses while he stood and held my hand. Held my hand. He smiled the whole time, even when he ran out of energy.

He was LittleBrother, through and through.

It was a lovely Halloween evening. We have too much candy, two boys who were too tired for baths before collapsing in bed and a tired set of parents. But it was one of those evenings that make memories to last a lifetime.

What I Want to Remember of This Halloween is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

This photo illuminates all of the reasons that I hate store bought costumes:

“Why Luigi, what a big rack you have!” “All the better to smash bricks with???”

Let me tell you the number of things wrong with these costumes.

1. The bellies don’t adjust very well as the velcro is in ridiculously stupid places. Hence Luigi’s large chest that’s supposed to be a belly. Thankfully BigBrother hasn’t really noticed or cared. However, I’m either going to have to deflate the bellies even a bit more (these were not fully blown up) or nix them completely so that the boys can wear warmer clothes under their costumes. It’s supposed to be a bit chilly both evenings we’re going trick-or-treating. The boys already know this is a possibility and they’re okay with it, though they think the bellies are hilarious. Which, they are. Especially BigBrothers, RIGHT?!

2. They’re too small in general. I ordered two costumes in sizes that should have fit according to the website. However, when the costumes arrived, the packaging also listed an “age range,” and when I held them up, yep, they’re small. They’ll “do” for now (and are just barely long enough without the bellies), but please don’t look at the length and judge me as a bad Halloween mom. It’s not my fault the website didn’t find it important to share the length of the costume, just the weight guidelines. (Note to costume websites: My kids weigh less but are just fine height wise. Weight does me no good.) This reason is why you cannot see their feet in any of these photos. Of note: They’re wearing their black rainboots up and under their pant legs, which will at least be warm and dry.

3. Please don’t get me started on the texture.

4. The mustaches are ridiculous. I mean, sure, they’re cute in these pictures, but the sticky stuff on the back? Covers the WHOLE back of the mustache. Left to right, top to bottom. That means that LittleBrother, who has a smaller face/head and the downward facing Mario mustache, has sticky stuff all the way past his mouth and down onto his chin. That causes the mustache to stick to his chin, thus blocking his entire mouth. Very safe, let me tell you. We’re sticking some paper to the back of it so he can, you know, breathe out of his mouth, but the paper is then annoying to a small child. I predict mustache abandonment in less than a hour.

5. I know the gloves are supposed to be big for humor’s sake, but LittleBrother’s are far too big – to the point that the can’t grab things while wearing them. (So yes, if you’re keeping track: the costume is too small but the mustache and gloves are too big. Sizing fails all over the place.)

And on and on and on.

I originally said I wanted to make the boys’ Mario and Luigi costumes. And then life got in the way and I remembered how poorly I sew while trying to complete another task. I looked longingly at some homemade, fantastic Mario and Luigi costumes on Etsy — my favorite being the fireball variations with the red and green overalls — but I couldn’t justify the price. Maybe I should have, as my sons love to dress up and they could have gotten a lot of use out of high quality, well-fitting costumes that they loved. Hindsight; she’s a … well, she’s something. Even still, I was going to make some really cute bags for trick-or-treating, but Halloween is in five days and it’s just not going to happen.

The good news is that the boys love their costumes. And they loved them last year. And the year before. But they year before that, let’s face it: they were really dang cute. I will never be as talented with a sewing machine as my grandmother. My children will have to suck it up in store bought costumes and I will have to let go of the dream of the perfect Halloween. Besides, they’ll go trick-or-treating (twice, mind you). They’ll have fun. They’ll be pleased with their costumes. They’ll get candy. The world will keep turning.

Quite honestly, that sounds pretty darn perfect to me. Not quite Martha Stewart, but pretty darn perfect.

Mario and Luigi Halloween Costumes: A Review, a Rant & Letting Go of the “Perfect” Halloween is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

While I do love Aeromax and their real-looking firefighter costumes, this monstrosity used to be my least favorite. (See below for my new least favorite for girls.)

Plain and simple: If your little girl wants to be a firefighter, she doesn’t need a pink and blue uniform. She just doesn’t. The women that endure the pervasive sexism still alive in firefighting today don’t need your little girl to perpetuate the stereotype that girls need frillied up version of the real thing to make it count. Get her a normal uniform and have her run some stairs for awhile. She doesn’t need something pink to be a firefighter.

The winner of my new least favorite firefighter costume is this… …thing.

Gross.

The number of sexualized adult (and thus worn by teen girls too) firefighter costumes is horrifying enough. It really is. But do we really, really need to vamp up our our size small girls? Do we? I mean, I know it’s the trend. A sickening, disgusting, awful, hideous trend, but a trend all the same. I just don’t know what mother or father would want their little girl to wear this to school, to a Halloween party, to walk the streets on trick-or-treat night. At least the pink and blue version looks like a firefighter costume and covers your child up. This? This is wrong on all levels. Don’t buy it. I will judge you.

(I will say that I understand some girls like wearing dresses. I do approve of this “different” but still close enough firefighter costume for girls. Order one size bigger to make sure her doopa is covered, okay?)

And lastly, of course, please don’t buy any of these costumes for your teenage daughter. Just please don’t.

Just Say No by firemom on polyvore.com

If you — an adult — want to sex it up at a Halloween party, go right ahead. I won’t judge you, but I might offer you a jacket. Or pants. And if your partner is wearing this hot mess of an overcompensating costume, I won’t judge you either. I’ll just feel sorry for the both of you.

Come back Friday for some homemade firefighter costume options — for all of you procrastinators. (Or, uh, crafty people.) (But mostly procrastinators.)

Please Don’t Buy These Firefighter Costumes for Your Kids is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

As always, my number one favorite would be the Aeromax firefighter costumes. I reviewed them in 2009, and I am happy to report that they’re still going strong. They’ve been through the wash quite a few times and they are just as great as they were the day we got them. Plus, they look so real, don’t they?

Most costume places seem to carry this particular costume in the variety of colors, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. The tan costume is on Amazon right now for $45.16.

Every firefighter needs a dalmatian, of course. While you could get a generic, big-box store dalmatian costume, I fell in love with this firefighter Dalmatian costume on Etsy. I mean, goodness.

It comes with the jacket, ears and paws. Tell me that’s not cute. It’s $60.00 (but then you can use the fire jacket as a rain coat).

I know that a few people have emailed me over the years and said that they loved the firefighter costumes but they happen to live in much warmer climates. Woolen long sleeved deals or even vinyl rain jackets were too warm for their kiddos. That’s why I like this one from Target: It’s just a short-sleeved “firefighter uniform” shirt.

It might also be great for kiddos with texture issues or those who aren’t keen on wearing costumes in general. Simple and cheap, at $14.99.

That’s it for new favorites for purchase-able costumes this year. On Wednesday, I’ll be running my annual “Please Don’t Purchase These Firefighter Costumes” post and on Friday I’ll share some of the best make-at-home firefighter costumes. If you have links for either, you can feel free to share them.

2011′s Best Firefighter Costumes is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

LittleBrother hit one house.

And one more. And then a big wind blew, turned his Alien head sideways on his head and he was done. He rode in the wagon for the rest of the trip. We occasionally had to turn his Alien head the right way when we would hear his little voice, “I can’t see.”

BigBrother, however, was a pro, made evident by this Super Serious Trick-or-Treating Face.

He made it three quarters of the way around the big, big loop this year, running to keep up with an almost seven year old girl friend of ours. He only made it half way last year before he started whining, so this was a great improvement. Plus, the wagon! Win. We got lots of compliments on his costume. And a lot of “Where’s Waldo?! THERE HE IS!” comments.

He had a great time. I think LittleBrother did too, despite the ear infection woes. BigBrother offered to share his candy, since LittleBrother only got candy from people close to the road as we was riding wagon style. One gentleman accused of “spoiling” him. Hi, he’s sick. Plus, it’s Halloween. Why not spoil them just a bit? Plus, shut up. Plus, look at them.

In other Halloween-but-not-totally-related-news, our friend dressed up as Michael Myers and then freaking chased me with a scraping pitch fork. I was displeased. But the photo is ten kinds of awesome.

We’ll be trick-or-treating again on Sunday. You know. Halloween. Hopefully it’s a good time as well.

Trick-or-Treating 2010, Take 1 is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

These cupcakes were a hit tonight. I am not, however, good with the flipping icing piping bag. I may have cussed. Perhaps I need more practice, but I never, ever, ever want to do it again. What am I doing wrong?

All the same, these cupcakes are Martha Stewart cupcakes. And they are good. The recipe is on her website. I obviously left out the cinnamon and the all spice. I simply bumped up the nutmeg a bit.

Trick-or-treating went well this evening despite some tired kids and an ear infection. I’ll explain more about that tomorrow. For now, I’m going to eat another cupcake, hopefully leaving enough for coffee with friends in the morning.

Happy not-yet-Halloween!

Pumpkin Cupcakes on Not-Yet-Halloween is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween Costumes 2010 is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind.

• Trick-or-treat in a group that contains a few adults. Even if your children are older, explain that their safety is more important than their social status. Offer to follow behind a little ways with a few adult friends. For younger children, the more parents the better. Keep an eye on each others’ children and offer to chase down the rambuncious three year old for a very pregnant friend. Safety in numbers!
• Masks are funny, but not good for walking. Avoid masks that cover the whole face. Even if they have proper eye holes and nose/mouth ventilation, it can still make it difficult for your child to see where he’s walking (think of all the downed leaves and sticks right now) and possibly impede his peipheral vision. If you already purchased your child’s mask, as him to carry it in his hand until he gets up to the door, putting it on to say, “Trick-or-treat!” Emergency room visits on Halloween are no fun.
• Tie up loose ends. Yes, your little princess is adorable in her long dress. And, yes, your little mummy looks frightfully adorable wrapped in ripped up sheets. But if the dress is too long, she can trip. And if someone steps on a loose piece of sheet, your mummy could go flying. Ditto all of this for shoe laces.
• Only trick-or-treat in well-lit areas. Kudos to the areas which have switched to day-time trick-or-treating. For those that push the sunset hour or fall after dark, make sure you are only gallavanting in areas that are well-lit. If you are going after dark, make sure to use reflective tape on the back of your child’s costume. No, I don’t care that it doesn’t match her princess dress color palette. You can also get a blinking light. Carry flashlights. See also the safety in numbers point if you’re traipsing around after dark.
• Check your child’s candy and make a no-eating-while-trick-or-treating rule. I know that everyone in your neighborhood is on the up and up and would never poison your child. However, it’s still better to check your child’s candy. More over, the no-eating-while-trick-or-treating rule comes in handy as it prevents choking on a piece of said candy and needing to find someone who knows the Heimlich maneuver. Also, checking your kids’ candy lets you spot the good stuff first. What?
• Put down the cell phone. No, really. Sure, you’re not driving. But there are bound to be 39859 kids walking around in costume. And lots of adults. And chances are you don’t know all of them. Keep an eye and a mind on your child while you’re out and about this Halloween. More over, staying off the cell phone will let you create memories that you actually remember.
• Have a meeting point if you get separated. Families can get separated even when parents are paying close attention. It happens. Create a meeting point like “the old lady’s house on the corner” if should happen. Make sure your kids know their address AND YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. No, really. Mommy and Daddy don’t quite cut in when locating parents.

There are other things to remember as well. You know, things like don’t play with matches and what not. But those should go without saying.

One last tip that is less about safety and more about fun: Try to find your local firefighters. Our firefighters go out on the truck and hand out candy in different neighborhoods. Another local department parks on Main Street, handing out candy to those who pass by. Truth? They love your kids’ costumes. They do. Make their evening. Make your kids’ evening with some fire truck love, too. It’s a win for all!

And, by the way, if anyone has any advice as to how to convince our city that trick-or-treating should happen on Halloween, I’d be grateful. That said, Western PA is also known for its weird trick-or-treating nights, so I should be used to it. But dang it! Halloween is for trick-or-treating. Not a random late-October Thursday night! Humph.

Trick-or-Treating Safety is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

I’m not quite sure why the firefighter’s pumpkin mouth seems to be on fire. Or why it is that he seems to be smoking a cigar. Or why his eyes are all crazy. In fact, I didn’t buy this pumpkin. My loving mother bought it when she had the boys for a weekend. They were at a local Western Pennsylvania grocery store when she came across this interesting painted gourd. She couldn’t pass it up since the boys were with her.

It is currently sitting on our front porch with four un-carved, full-sized pumpkins, a handful of smaller gourds and two pumpkins the boys carved with their other grandma last weekend. He sits out front of the batch, seemingly guarding the whole mess. Either that or none of the other pumpkins want to be near him since he’s, you know, on fire and such.

I’d kind of like to carve an actual firefighter into one of our pumpkins (like this one), but FireDad doesn’t really let me play with sharp objects. So, our interesting painted firefighter pumpkin might be all we have fire wise this year!

Of Course We Have a Firefighter Pumpkin is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.