The Force Was Strong This Halloween

The pumpkins Fred and Julian carved. Julian picked out the pumpkins and designed the faces while Fred did most of the cutting. Check out the little one on the right.

So, as we have in previous years, we did a family costume.

Originally, only Julian was going to dress up this year. Years ago, Lucas* gave us the awesome Darth Vader helmet with the attached chest piece (which with a touch of a button plays the breathing sounds and lines like, "Don't make me destroy you" and "You don't know the power of the Dark Side"). So, given Julian's recent interest in Star Wars, we encouraged him to embrace his inner super villain. He was into it, especially when he realized he would get a light saber. Then Joel pointed out that it made no sense for Fred and I not to dress up as Luke and Leia as we both have the hair for it. The costumes were fairly easy to put together when all was said and done and we looked really awesome.

Many pictures of Julian engaged in light saber duels have been taken, but unfortunately, none of them were with our camera, so I have to wait for people to mail those to us.

We got a ton of compliments on the integrated family costume. On some level, Fred and I were probably acting out our own childhood fantasies (well, I was. It actually took a bit for Fred to accept he couldn't dress as Han Solo). Also, these were super comfortable (Julian is in sweats, Fred and I are in slippers). Yes, it is true, we had another costume with headgear so cumbersome that Julian did most of his trick or treating while his parents carried the crucial identifier.

My only complaint is the headphone hair is, perhaps, the single most unflattering hairstyle ever. Look what it did to Carrie Fisher when she was a mere 19 years old! Honestly, it could drive a girl to drink.

*Julian's cousin Lucas, not to be confused with George Lucas.