Halloween Costumes

Today, I stopped at my favorite place, The Circle Store, to pick up broccoli, hummus, and, of course, Halloween costumes.

Miss Never Stops Talking desperately wants to be a pink fairy, and as much as I loathe the idea (and continue to suggest better costumes), she is determined to be a very pink fairy.  I scored a set of pink wings and a wand in the dollar section.  Yes!  But had no luck in the actual costume section.  All the pink fairy costumes, pink tutus, etc. were already sold out in her size.

However, I did see an Elmo costume that I thought would be perfect for my 2 1/2 year old son.  He saw it during a previous outing and shouted, "Eh-Mo! Eh-Mo!" from his cart.  Today, when I picked up the Elmo costume and placed it in the cart next to him, he started screaming.  I wasn't sure why, but I wasn't too worried.  I figured he was just...

bored
hungry
temperamental

I mean, he's ALWAYS crying...

...so what's the big deal, right?

When we got home, I gave him a snack, and figured he'd be ready to see Elmo in a new light.  But instead, his reaction was unchanged, "Eh-Mo!   Nooo!!!    Eh-Mo!   Noooo!!!"

Like a good mom, I completely ignored his protests and put him in the costume, thinking once he saw himself dressed up as Elmo, he would like the costume.  He was pretty calm once I got the costume on until I let him see himself in the mirror.

Then he continued to lose his mind, "Eh-Mo!  Nooo!!!  Eh-Mo!  Nooo!!!"

I couldn't see what the issue was, but I understood that he was actually scared of the Elmo suit for some reason.  When we took the costume off, he refused to go into the same room with it.

Then I started looking at the packaging and started to see it from his perspective.  Maybe.

Is it possible that to a 2-year-old, that it looks like Elmo is eating this little boy?  Swallowing him whole like a snake swallows its prey?

As an adult thinking waaaay too much about this, I'm starting to think this costume has a whole Silence of the Lambs vibe.  As in this little kid murdered Elmo like a mini Buffalo Bill, so he could make an Elmo suit for himself.

I don't know.  I guess I'll return it.