Life of Wry

Last night, a family member asked if I had a picture of Peter in his spider Halloween costume from way (way!) back in the day. (And I guess there’s nothing secret about who asked.. it was Monica, as she and Nina were sitting around talking Halloween costumes… as you do.) Her request took me deep into the photo archives and pretty soon I was looking at all of Peter’s Halloween costumes. I’ve long intended to do a photo montage of Halloweens through the years. Last night was just the impetus for this long-undone project!

[Note: my photo archive currently comprises digital photos only. Any photos taken before 2001, when we got our first digital camera, have not yet been scanned. So, this collection misses a couple early years of costumes.]

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2001 (age 3)

Peter wanted to be a lion, so Jim sewed him a lion suit.

Looks like we had a Halloween party (and treasure hunt!). Mystery Little Red Riding Hood, Chef Sabrina with Morgan and Jocelyn, Rowan, Chenoa (in another Lion costume!) and Peter:

And cupcakes were had! Vicki must have come to the party. 🙂

It looks like this was also the year Peter wore a leopard costume. This particular leopard costume was sewn by Vovo, Jim and Monica’s maternal grandmother, a lifelong seamstress. The costume’s been in the family for decades, and I believe it was worn by some, if not most, of her grandkids.

Peter, making his best leopard face:

2002, still age 3

It’s March, but Peter wanted to be a mouse and, somehow, we acquired a mouse costume. He’s all ready for Halloween, but by October I believe he’d outgrown the costume! He was a cute mouse in March, though. Here are Chenoa and Peter eating kettle corn at Farmer’s Market.

2003, Age 4

Okay, looks like another two-costume year. And looks like another Halloween party with treasure hunt in our backyard. First, there was the pirate costume. Here are Bradley, Peter, Skye, Rowan, Daniel and Chenoa.

And here is a Halloween pinata party, I’m not sure whose, where Peter’s in a witch costume. The only child I recognize is Jocelyn standing on the left with Sabrina:

Here’re Peter and Jocelyn:

2003, Age 5

This was the year Peter was a Black Widow. Another Jim design!

Here it is from the back:

This year, the Halloween party was at Chenoa’s house. There was bobbing for apples:

And bobbing for donuts!

(Jonah’s little brother Keevan, mom Teri, Skye, Peter, Brian, Chenoa, Jonah and Daniel. I’m trying to remember the kiddo in the yellow ..bird?.. but can’t quite get the name)

Got one!

The actual work of Halloween.. this was up the street at Dick’s house:

And the two Frame boys… maybe he’s eaten too much candy!

2004, Age 6

So, it’s first grade and the kids at school are dressed in Halloween finery. I see Ana Christina, ME (Madison Elizabeth) and Maya… among countless others whose names I can’t remember. Peter’s in there, too.

Peter looks to be a bat…

Senora Bugsch always had them dancing. Here are Peter and Ryan (who will go on to play for the Detroit Tigers in the major leagues (as of this writing, he’s still in the farm league, but working his way up).

One of my favorite Halloween pics!

In his batness. It also looks like Peter was in charge of pumpkin carving.

2005, Age 7

Moving right along….

This year, it’s the gulper eel, a particularly wicked looking sea creature. Jim strikes again with a homemade implementation:

Peter wore it to school. Here he is with pals from Senorita Cruz’s class…

And a couple trick or treating with Eli and not sure:

2006, Age 8

I HAVE NO PICTURES! I have no idea what happened in his 3rd grade year….am I getting casual about documenting every little thing already?

2007, Age 9

Peter’s fourth grade teacher, Senorita Marchand was full of spirit and imagination. She was a book lover and did so much with those kids in writing and literature. Here she is reading something spooky, no doubt.

They had a wonderful Halloween party in the classroom that year…

I brought ghoulish witch’s fingers..

Peter dressed at plutonium this year. Eli went as a toxic waste dump.

Here they are at the downtown merchants’ massive candy giveaway craziness… (hope Peter didn’t trip on those laces…) I think that’s Daniel Sedillo and Katheryn Murdoch with them.

This was also a good pumpkin carving year for Peter… he went full nerd with a carving of pi:

That sure looks like blood on the napkin there….

Here is Peter at Lisa and Ted Slabach’s.. they really do Halloween at their house.

Jim and I went to the Slabach’s annual party both dressed as Jim!

2008, Age 10

It was all politics this year. The presidential election was just a few days away, and there was intense Obama fever throughout the land (especially Davis).

With a stoke of irony, Peter went to school dressed as Reagan:

And went trick or treating as George W. Bush:

But make no mistake, we were an Obama household!

2009, Age 11

The best I can do for this year is a photo of his costume in progress. M&M, by Jim.

And…. skip ahead to:

2012, Age 14

I believe trick or treating is beginning to fall by the wayside. I don’t know if our big boy went out in 2010 or 2011 (I imagine he did, but dressed as what?). In 2012, there appears to be a reprisal of the M&M! He has not outgrown the holiday or the costume!

And that completes the Halloween costume retrospective!

Sentimental Halloween costume documentation project. Check!

[Note: If I should ever get to my scanning of photos from 1998-2001, I shall insert edit whatever I might find for costumes of the infant and toddler Peter!]