Deadline: Halloween

Halloween costumes were so easy with an infant. I could easily pick out any kind of cute or cuddly outfit, something easy to find and reasonably priced and my little boy would happily wear it, giggling and posing for the camera.

Costume selection is much more challenging with my 3-year-old.

We stroll through the aisles looking at costumes, and while I’ve got my eye on Tigger or a penguin costume, my Precious Boy shouts and points – “Look, Mommy, a sword!” Then he points to the gun and progresses through every single piece of fake weaponry on the aisle.

I guess this is a new block of genes on his Y chromosome that suddenly turned on. We don’t even allow him water guns.

After explaining that I don’t like the idea of him being a ninja or some other character with a gun, he announces, “I want to be Darth Vader.” I hide my laughter, since his fascination with the Dark Lord of the Sith is largely my fault.

But my Darling Redhead will not allow his son to turn to the Dark Side. We start to negotiate with the little guy and talk him into being Yoda. The crucial bait: Those Jedi also use lightsabers. My boy is thrilled.

That created a new problem. Every Yoda costume in the catalogs and stores is sold out and the eBay bidding wars have been insane. Hard to believe but some people are willing to pay $76 for one.

I looked at the photos and decided to try to make it myself. Despite the fact that between work, and housework and toddler play, that I have no time. Despite the fact that it’s been at least a year since I’ve even turned on my sewing machine.

So the sewing started. Thankfully, there are other Star Wars fans who have been through the same process

And there are plenty of photographs of the commercially-sold costumes that I have been trying to imitate.

Surprisingly, it took me only a week, working the late hours after my son’s bedtime, to finish the robe and one set of ears. My son loved the robe though the ears were all wrong (I had them angled at 45 degrees and it made him look like a lime-green rabbit). Last night, I did a new set of Yoda ears that looked much better.

Now the real test is whether he actually wears the outfit on Monday.