Shrek and The Knight

Before we begin today, I feel I should put out a quick disclaimer. The Parents 'n' Tots playgroup, to which I haul Sonwun and Sontoo twice a week, is the best I've been to. Great toys, limited structure, no crappy coffee and, generally, a good time had by all.

That being said . . .

Yesterday we had the Halloween Party. The kids dressed up, one pissed off mom dressed up ("You guys suck! I thought parents were dressing up!") and it was all very cute. There were dinosaurs, Jack Sparrows, ninjas, lions, tigers and bears (oh my)! Sonwun was sporting a Knight costume and Sontoo went as Shrek. He's got the belly for it.

But I'm not feeling good about poor little Shrek. I dressed him up because I gave in to peer pressure. I dressed him up for the amusement of others. I was not amused trying to stuff his little body into that costume. He was not amused by the way it felt. I was not amused by the crying and fussing. He has no idea who Shrek is or why I want him to look like a green ogre. And he hated the little hat.

Now I understand why parents dress kids, under the age of 2, in Halloween costumes. It's cute, or funny. But let's be honest, it's kind of like putting a little outfit on your dog. The dog is not amused, finds no pleasure in the outfit and is a little freaked out about having to wear it. Eighteen-month-olds, at least mine, feel the same way. Why did I give in?

Now as for Sonwun, he understands the costume concept. He chose his own and was quite proud to be Sir Sonwun, the knight. I, wisely I think, chose not to arm him with a sword, even though it would have completed the ensemble nicely. It just didn't make sense to send him out into a group of 40 children, already with an inflated, knightly sense of self importance, with a weapon.

Five other parents disagreed.

And, as one might expect, the morning featured a running battle between two Ninjas, a Transformer, a pirate and Winnie the Pooh who realized his hunny pot had little impact against a Ninja sword. Pooh wanted in on the action, so he picked up the pirate's discarded scabbard and used it to join in the wild swinging festival.

Now, I understand that the swords are part of the costume and the children want to play with them. But why the mothers not only allowed the swords to make the trip to playgroup, but allowed the duels to continue unabated - I just don't get it.

Maybe it had something to do with the sugar buffet along the wall. Now, I understand that some moms want to bring a special treat to the Halloween party. But, seriously, the amount of sugar and frosting on that table would have sweetened Hitler's disposition. And come on people, it's 10 a.m. Is it really a good idea to detonate this sugar bomb in a room full of toddler's and preschoolers? I just don't get it.

To be fair, I should point out that one mom actually brought in a big plate of sliced fruit for the kids to snack on. I know, not very Halloweeny, but certainly more nutritious. There was plenty left over.

All that being said, it was a good party. There were games for the kids (Sir Sonwun finished third in musical chairs) and plenty of opportunities to burn off that sugar, even without swordplay.

And tonight's the big night. But I'm not sure how we're going to handle it. Today's forecast high is -5C (that's about 23F for those of you down south) and it's expected to drop to -10 (14F) tonight. Sonwun will surely want to hit the streets, but that form-fitting Knight costume won't offer much protection from the cold and it will be impossible to stuff sufficient insulation underneath it. Must come up with new plan.

I expect Shrek will stay here with me and help hand out the loot. But I will probably dress him up as one of the kids from Peter Pan. You know, a pair of pajamas and maybe a pair of slippers. No hat. He'll be happier, I'll be happier.

Have a great, spooky Halloween everyone and I'll see you next month.