“Jimmy, have you decided what you want to be for Halloween this year,” Mrs. Evans inquired.

“Real funny Mom,” Jimmy said rolling his eyes.

It was a silly question when Mrs. Evans thought about it. Jimmy had been the same thing for the previous five Halloweens. He has never expressed any interest in being anything else. She was hoping however, as a nine year old he would explore other options. Six years in a row of being the same thing for Halloween seems a little much, especially considering what he wanted to be.

“You know Jimmy, with the cut backs at work, I can’t afford as elaborate a costume as I got you last year. Are you sure you don’t want to try something else this year?”

Mrs. Evens thought about that costume from last year. By the end of getting the outfit, new shoes to match it, make-up for the face, and a new hairstyle with coloring, it must have cost $75.

“It’s okay Mommy. We can just get the costume at Wal-Mart. Everything is cheap there. I don’t care if it isn’t as fancy as last year,” Jimmy said as he headed over to play with his Lego’s.

“They have a lot of different costumes at Wal-Mart Jimmy. Maybe we should go together and see what they have before you decide.”

Looking over his Lego instructions and picking up the next piece of the model, “No, that is okay mom. You don’t need me to decide what size I am. We got new clothes for school last month, so you know what will fit me.”

“Jimmy, I think you should come and pick out a different costume this year.”

Mrs. Evans knew this was a long shot, but Jimmy had been the same thing for Halloween since he was four years old. She was hoping he would explore other interests.

“Mommy,” Jimmy said siting right up and with a waiver in his voice. “You promised me last year I could go again this year as the same thing. You promised.”

Jimmy’s lip was quivering as Mrs. Evans remembered Jimmy’s puppy dog eyes last year begging for permission to do it again this year. He had just gotten back from Trick-or-Treating around the block. His excitement was beyond belief. All he could talk about was how no one could tell it was him. He even ran into his best friends Tom and Billy. They hit about five houses together without them knowing it was Jimmy. Back home, Jimmy had given Mrs. Evans lots of hugs and thanks. Then the question came, ‘Can I do this again next year?’

When he was four it was cute. At five it still had a little bit of charm, but for five years of the same costume? It just seemed strange. Looking down into his pleading, it was hard to say no to him. He was so happy at the time, and those puppy dog eyes. It just melted Mrs. Evans’ heart. How could she say no? She did promise him he could be the same thing this year, but at the time, she was hoping he wouldn’t remember that a year later.

“I did make that promise, didn’t I?” Mrs. Evans sighed. “But Jimmy, your nine now, do you really think it is appropriate for you to go out dress like that for Halloween?”

Jimmy seeing an opening to get what he wanted, he gathered a little strength and proceeded, “Mommy, I have been good all year, just like you said I needed to be. I never brought my old Halloween Costume out to play with on days not Halloween or Halloween Party. You pwomised if I did all tat, I could go again tis yeaw.”

“James Evans,” Mrs. Evans sternly said holding back a giggle. “Don’t you dear start giving me that baby talk just to get what you want. You are not the one in charge around here, I am!”

“Sowwy Mommy,” Jimmy responded apologetically.

“Jimmy!”

“Sorry,” Jimmy said correctly this time in a lower voice. “Mommy.”

Mrs. Evans looked down at her nine year old son sitting on the floor surrounded by his Lego’s. He was dressed in his Buzz Lightyear pajamas. He was still her little baby, even if he was nine years old.

“I guess we can do one more year . . . but this is it. Enjoy it all you like, for I am not going to let you go next year in the same costume.”

Jimmy got a big smile on his face and went back to working on his Lego model. He had heard that statement before. Every year Mom hated letting him go out in that costume and declared it was the last time. Every year he would come back from Trick-or-Treating and get Mommy to promise to let him do it again next year. Last year Mom had declared it was going to be the last no matter what, with that he convinced her to go all out for the costume so he looked the best he possibly could. Not that it mattered. He had gone out dressed up like this for four years, and not once did anyone ever determine it was him. He loved fooling everyone, and he loved pretending, even if just for one night a year, he was who he was dressed up to be. Last year he got to be dressed up two nights, once for Trick-or-Treating and once for a Halloween party. He never liked Mommy’s requirement that he couldn’t play in the costume after Halloween, but as long as he had Halloween, he was happy.

Mrs. Evans sat back on the couch and looked at her son. She hoped Wal-Mart would have one of the costumes in his size. He was getting bigger, and it was getting harder to find the costume in his size. Up to 6X was easy, but beyond that was getting harder to find unless she wanted to spend the big bucks at the specialty store. She thought about what she might have left from last year that they would be able to use this year. If he hadn’t grown so much in the last few months, he probably would have fit into last year’s costume. There is no way the shoes would fit, Jimmy had grown two sizes in the last year. She still had the make-up and it should still be good. She could do the hair. Maybe she could convince him not to get it colored this year, anything to save a little money.

Thinking about last year’s costume, she still couldn’t believe Jimmy had talked her into spending all that money. She worked really hard last year to talk him out of doing the same costume again, like she did ever year. Unfortunately, it was too close to Halloween by the time she gave in and the local Costume Shop was out of ones in his size. She went with a higher end outfit with hopes it would be the last. At the end however, she caved just like every other year. This year was going to be different. She wasn’t going to promise him another year of the same costume. That little manipulator of hers was not going to do it to her again. Next year she would finally be able to get him into something different. It just wasn’t appropriate for a kid his age to be going out dressed like that, even if it was Halloween. Nine year old boys do not go out dressed like that.

Mrs. Evans thought hard about what she would do for this year’s costume. Jimmy may have been the same thing for the last five years, but he was five different ones. She knew Jimmy didn’t care which one he was, just as long as he got to be one of them. He was Snow White the first year, Cinderella the next, and Jasmine the third. When he was seven he was Aurora, and last year as an eight year old he was Ariel. He really liked the pink Aurora outfit, so she went with the pink Ariel outfit. Getting his hair red last year was a challenge though. Which Disney Princess will her SON be this year? She looked at him as she contemplated between Bell or Mulan.

“What do you think about being Princess Bell this year Jimmy?” Mrs. Evans asked hoping she could find one in his size without going to the Disney Store.

“The yellow dress Mommy, ohhh, that will be soooooo pretty! Thank You Mommy,” Jimmy said hopping up and pouncing on Mrs. Evans with a big hug.