Last year, I kept it pedestrian and I dressed my now one-year-old son, Brandon, as a turtle for Halloween. I hastily propped him up against a wall and snapped picture after picture until he slumped over and eventually fell asleep. I could’ve at least tied a purple bandanna around the turtle’s eyes, instantly catapulting the costume into the Ninja Turtle stratosphere, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.
So this year, I’m going HARD. But I can only choose one costume, so I’ve narrowed it down to four characters that I haven’t seen the pint-sized versions of pasted all over Facebook:
A gang member from “The Warriors”
Maybe it’s the distinct lack of clothing. No decent parent wants to take their kid into the crisp October night air bare-chested in nothing but a flimsy faux-leather vest, so as a concerned parent, I understand. Still, I won’t be complete until I see a muscle-bound baby rocking that iconic brown vest, with his face covered in subway grime.
Tony Montana (Al Pacino) from “Scarface”
Come one, people, you’re slacking. This one is at least weather appropriate. I thought for sure I’d find a picture of someone’s adorable baby dressed in that classically garish white suit and gigantic 70’s collar, with a toy machine gun in hand. But sadly, nothing. So, I may claim this one for my own this year. Don’t worry, I won’t forget to smear some powdered sugar on the tip of my son’s nose to complete the whole ensemble.
Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) from “Goodfellas”
I’m not surprised I haven’t seen the baby size of this costume yet. This one is much harder to pull off. There’s not much distinction about this character or his style of dress. The only thing your kid would need to properly accessorize this costume would be homicidal outbursts coupled with a trigger-happy temperament. And that’s asking a lot of a child, but that doesn’t mean they can’t pull it off.
Chuck Norris
This costume sort of skirts the definition of movie “character” because Chuck Norris isn’t so much a character as he is Chuck Norris, being Chuck Norris, in a film starring Chuck Norris. But, if your one-year-old can stir fear into the hearts of men with nothing more than a penetrating stare, this costume is for you.
My husband suggested we try dressing the kid up as the Joker this year. He thinks our son’s natural harlequin smile would really tie the whole ensemble together. I am inclined to agree. But I might change my mind. Tony Montana is too hard to resist.
