by Jessica Nocerini

Created on: November 01, 2007

The creative genius behind most of my Halloween costumes was my mom. Left up to me, I would have been a princess every single year, wearing one of my older sister's former prom dresses, a pair of too-big heels and the most garish lipstick I could locate.

Every year, my school would host a Halloween parade and festival in the gymnasium. We would circle the gym in age groups and the judges would rate us on our creativity, then award prizes such as sweets, fruit or coins.

The first year I participated in this, I was a flapper girl. Having no idea at six years old what a "flapper" was, I resisted my mom wholeheartedly when she suggested this. But after seeing the pretty pink dress and pearls that my mom suggested, I relented. After all, I'd get to wear my hair in a curly bob, not to mention the joy of pink lipstick and even blush!

In a sea of princesses and fairies, I stood out like a sore thumb - and I won a prize of fifty cents and a bag of candy.

The following year, my mom suggested becoming a bag lady for Halloween. Again, I had no clue what such a thing was, but the "lady" part sounded nice. In my mind, a "bag lady" was just a lady who carried a bag. Who knew that it would involve layers of clothes, gloves and a sign around my neck that would be (shamefully) politically incorrect in today's world?

Again, I proudly accepted my prize and split it with my mom, leaving me with a whole twenty-five cents to stick in a gum-ball machine and enough candy to keep my dentist in business for years.

The final year I participated, I dressed up as an elderly lady - again, my mom's suggestion. I wore a red polka-dot dress, spectacles and one of my Grandma's wigs. Underneath the dress, my parents pinned one of the pillows from the couch to make my rump look enormous. It kept slipping and required numerous adjustments, much to my chagrin. I shuffled around the gymnasium in my orthopedic shoes and stabbed the hardwood floor with my cane, garnering chuckles from the judges and the parents on the sidelines.

My mother's creativity won me acclaim that year, as well.

However reluctant I was to her suggestions, my mom's costume ideas were so much more memorable than the typical gowns and glitter. I can remember the details so clearly and the photographs always make me laugh out loud.

And the best part? The best part was spending time with my mom, planning and organizing and getting ready for the big night. I would give all the candy, fruit and pocket change in the world to spend one more Halloween giggling, pretending - just being a kid.

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