Halloween angst... I found out today - a year late - that my youngest was apparently scarred by his costume choice last year. He was a green penguin toting a fluffy red "puffle". Perfectly understandable if you played "Club Penguin" on the computer. Most of his brother's friends did and none of his class mates did. The travails of a younger brother. He is such an independent little guy and usually quite happy to drum to his own beat. He is also very private which is why apparently I didn't figure this out until a year later. He claims that the Halloween parade day at school is his "least favorite" day of the year! Oh no! He was happy to be a penguin for trick-or-treating last year. It was a very home grown outfit - and one I was quite impressed with. I suggested he go as a train engineer this year - misunderstanding his costume hesitancy as being a comfort issue. He has train overalls (a bit on the small side by this year tho) and it was an easy costume and essentially something he wears anyway. I got to school to help the kids get in costume and he didn't even want to remove his jacket nor tell anyone what he was. I found out at dinner that the cookie cutter friends of his in the other class refused to let anyone play kick-ball (his FAVORITE) unless they were identically garbed. At least 6 of the boys in that class were in Star Wars/Clone Wars costumes. Only 1 kid from our class (thankfully) was in Star Wars gear. I always refuse to buy them the pre-made costumes although I'll spring for some accoutrement or rewearable thing - or even the fabric for a green penguin and fluffy red puffle (which he still sort of loves). If I'd realized the psychic terror of not having a conformist uniform I would have gone along with the masses for him this year. It makes me very sad. We'll see what happens next year.