After much consternation, here's what the boys will be for Halloween this year...

Last year, Cary and Dean were the world's most adorable meerkat and sea otter for Halloween.
I found their costumes at the last minute for $10 each on some Halloween clearance website.

Cary:
Dean:

At the Maryland Zoo, with the other critters:

Post-Boo at the Zoo-ing:


(Pictures of them sleeping always makes me all melty! Look at those peaceful, gorgeous faces!)

This year, Lester and I are trying not to spend money AT ALL for Halloween (except for the candy for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters, of course) so the pressure was on for me to find them something to be that was free.

This was a tremendous amount of pressure, because everyone around me seems to think that because I have twins, I have this wonderful opportunity to be really clever with the Halloween costumes. Think of all the things that come in pairs! they say. Salt and Pepper! Yin and Yang! Peaches and Herb!
My sister told me to have one be an elephant and one be a donkey, and they'd be Democrats and Republicans. But I just couldn't do that to the baby who'd end up in the Republican costume. Sorry.

Anyway, I started getting a headache every time I tried to think of something clever AND free. Something that plays on the fact that Cary and Dean are a pair, but that also cost NO MONEY.

I like to think of myself as a somewhat creative person. Well, OK, not really. I like to think of myself as a person who would like to be creative, if only given enough time and motivation.

But time got away from me, and I think I left my motivation in the back of a taxicab somewhere, or -- more likely -- at the pumpkin farm the day Dean acted the fool and I left the stroller at home.

So, after much consternation, here's what I finally came up with. Here is what Cary and Dean are going to be for Halloween this year:

Isn't that adorable??!! And hysterical?!

What? What's that you say? You don't get it? Really?? Look closely!!

Gosh you people are slow.

Dean is going to be CARY and Cary is going to be DEAN!!!

It's ironic!! See?? It's funny!

You don't see? You're not laughing?

Whatever. Let's just call this Halloween a wash (it's not like they can even have candy yet, anyway) and I'll do better next year.

Happy Halloween, folks! Can't wait to see all your kids' pictures!