About a month ago, when I started asking Noelle what she wanted to be for Halloween, she insisted she wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I immediately took to Pinterest, searching for the cutest, handmade Ariel costume ideas. I was determined to have Noelle & Charlotte in coordinating costumes (I like a good theme). Last year, they were a butterfly and a caterpillar. This year, they would be Ariel and Ursula (sorry, Char). My mind was spinning with cute family photo ideas and fun ways to show them off.
Three trips to Hobby Lobby, an hour of work, and one very cheap and ugly red “Ariel” wig later, the mermaid costume was complete. I made Noelle a tulle “mermaid tail,” which was basically a glorified long tutu that was gathered at the knee to give the “fishtail” appearance. I thought it was really pretty!
I asked Noelle to try it on, and before she even tried to walk three steps in it, she burst into tears and insisted that she didn’t want to be Ariel anymore.
As you might imagine, I was pretty disappointed. After two bribes and three threats didn’t work, I decided to pick my battles. The mermaid tail and hideous wig are now resting peacefully in my craft closet, and I’m now the proud mama of Izzy, the girl pirate from Jake & The Neverland Pirates.
Now that I think about it, a pink-clad pirate seems to fit Noelle’s personality a little better than a half-naked sea creature (no offense if you’re the mother of an Ariel this Halloween. Email me and I’ll mail you the skirt…).
You see, there are a whole host of things that a mermaid can’t do but a butt-kicking pirate can.
A mermaid can’t set sail aboard the S.S. Noelle
or spot new land up ahead.
A mermaid can’t find buried treasure
or raise a flag to signal that the she has arrived.
A mermaid needs a prince, but a pirate just needs a sister sidekick.
Maybe she’s phasing out of the “princess” stage.
Or maybe she’s just telling us what she wants.
Or maybe we’re just listening.
I’ll let her trade a sea shell bra for a bandana and pigtails any day of the week.
