MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU (or with me, since I’m the one raising these kids, I’m probably the one who needs it the most)

45 Days to Go

I have a confession to make. I am probably the only person on the planet … or at least the only person on the planet not living in a cave or under a big rock, who has never seen any of the Star Wars movies. (Nor, might I add, do I have any desire to.) Oh, sure, I understand it’s some sort of phenomenon …. I had male friends in Jr. High who watched the first one (or is it the FOURTH one? I’m so confused) two hundred times in the theatre, but it just never did anything for me.

I realize that to die-hard Star Wars fans, that statement is nothing short of un-American. (Much like Blaine tries to tell me it is un-American that I don’t like Mexican food … but that is cultural argument for another day.) I don’t know the difference between Princess Leia and Princess Padme. I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi played power forward for the Celtics. I don’t know the difference between Luke Skywalker and Annikan Skywalker, although I have a sneaking suspicion they are somehow related (come on, with a name like “Skywalker”???)

I’m not sure whatever happened to Han Solo … who I used to call Han Sulu, until Blaine explained that was another character on another show altogether. I’m also very perplexed by the Luke/Annikan/Darth Vader connection ---- somebody is somebody’s father, or maybe his brother … or maybe it’s like in The Terminator, when Linda Hamilton’s son comes back from the future to save her from Arnold before she even gives birth to him ??? Or something like that? Do you see why I’m confused?

Anyway, you can imagine my delight when I discovered my children did NOT want to be superheroes for the third year in a row this Halloween, only to find out they all wanted to be Star Wars characters. Thank goodness **they** knew which ones, because if it was up to me, they would all have been cute little Ewoks or Yodas or something. But they had definite opinions and put their costumes together with pride and excitement. (Ok, I confess, they pointed to the ones online that I needed to order. No homemade costumes or originality here.)



In case you can’t tell (because Lord knows I can’t) Brayden is Padme, Kendrie is Annikan Skywalker (NOT Luke, she was quite adamant, and she was also adamant that I NOT order the attached fake braid for her to wear) and Kellen is Darth Vader. OK, even **I** know that one. So here they are, in all their Star Wars glory, although I think Brayden has herself confused with one of the Charlie’s Angels.




No costume would be complete without light sabers and a duel.




Making it even more fun were our friends Kody (also a Skywalker) and Ryan (Yoda, who someone mistook for Shrek??? What was *that* about?) and their parents, Princess Leia and a grown-up Vader, who are obviously WAY more fun than plain-clothes Blaine and me. I was unable to get in the photo because I was too busy smuggling Kit-Kats out of the kids’ bags.

But here you have it, the 2005 Halloween adventure. Hope yours was wonderful, as well.