I had some serious concerns about Halloween this year, mostly because Juniper insisted on being a robot, something she came up with on her own, as far as I know, with no instigation from either of us. I was concerned because I had to relinquish control over her costume. A robot, I knew, would involve cardboard boxes and wires and electrical tape, and that's not my area, it's her father's. I can hold my own with thread and fabric, but he's always on the lookout for an excuse to spray paint something or bust out the hot glue or staple guns. I knew she couldn't wear a robot costume during school, so we let her be Medusa in the morning, which was easy because she already had the hat.

Over the last week, my husband actually started pulling together a robot costume. Each day, I would come home from work and the costume would be even more complex, covered in wires and LED lights and circuit boards. He was so proud that everything cost less than $3. This did nothing to alleviate my concerns. There were so many pieces that looked so incredibly uncomfortable. It didn't help that the little tunic I sewed from a metallic fabric was way too tight. I was sure Juniper wouldn't wear the costume for more than two minutes, if she ever let us squeeze it on her in the first place. But I need not have been concerned at all, it seems. She loved it:


So strong was her desire to be a robot, she wore that whole thing and walked around the neighborhood for two hours. She didn't cry when people looked at her, talked to her, or tried to touch her. Instead, she said trick or treat, umprompted, in her little robot voice.

When we got home from trick-or-treating, she still had the stamina to make this little video: