Suggestions welcome

It's July and it's hot. Which means my mind has turned to the Fall and, my all-time favorite holiday, Halloween. (Thanksgiving follows at a very close second. I absolutely despise Christmas. Ambivalent towards Arbor Day.)

I am so excited about Halloween this year. I have finally devised the best costume idea ever-I will go as a Mom! This will allow me to once again go trick-or-treating after a long 13 year hiatus using the ideal ruse-a small child.

It will be like taking candy from a baby.

But how should we dress that baby?

We do not let Maddy watch TV-at least not children's programming. She does light up whenever she hears Stephen Colbert's voice and she bops along to the Daily Show theme music. She watches Rachael Ray with more awe than she does me-I would feel put out, but since I think Rachael Ray acts and looks like a Muppet (the Swedish Chef?), I just assume Maddy does as well.

So what I am getting at is that there is no cartoon or kid's characters that she has latched onto which would lead me to a costume idea.

Michael and I have batted around some standards-bat, spider, ghost, etc...We shy away from things like angel, butterfly-yeech. I don't want to dress my child in anything that might attract Anne Geddes to my house. I don't have a fly swatter that big.

Since Rory is going as a superhero, Kelly suggested Maddy could be her nemesis (she certainly is mine-especially at 430 in the morning). Maybe a sidekick?

I'm stumped really. And July is almost over-time is running out.

Help!