A Halloween Story – By Karen West

Much like “A Christmas Story”, this is a tale of a child who wanted something so badly for a holiday. And it’s a true story too…about my youngest daughter Gabby. Honestly, she loves for me to tell this story because now it is tradition in our household. Kind of like how some people tell the story of the Great Pumpkin? We got THIS one…

We call it, “The ‘Tail’ of the Crying Baby Simba”

Once upon a time, a busy overly stressed mom went shopping for Halloween costumes for 3 of her delightful daughters while they were in school. Stores were less busy and mom knew the kids and what they liked! Noooooo prob! The Pink Ranger for Laura, Allie can be the Red Ranger because she really was easy to please when it came to costumes (but all of that would sort of change at the end of the story) and then a cute baby Simba costume for my youngest Gabby. She would be so adorable and I could take tons of pics!


Kids came home from school and I surprised them with their costumes! Yay me! Laura was thrilled! Allie was okay with it. She was Barney the year before so anything was better than that! Gabby? Lost her flippin’ mind. Oh…my….gawd. She wanted to be a Power Ranger like her sisters. Enter temper tantrum. I told the girls to go to their rooms and try on their costumes. Gabby didn’t want to go but I insisted that she would love it if she just tried it on. I bribed her with cheese or something. Don’t remember. Might have been Fruit Roll Ups. I just know I was desperate and it was a food item.


All three girls came back into the living room. Laura and Allie practiced their Power Ranger moves…on each other. And baby Simba? OMG ugly cry. I mean UGLY cry in the cutest costume I had ever seen in my LIFE! I had every emotion going on at the same time. Shame for not knowing she wanted to be a freakin’ Power Ranger, sadness because this was the saddest thing I’d ever seen and I also tried to hold back the laughter because this was also the funniest thing I’d ever seen. I told myself not to laugh. I failed. But there were tears there too, so….

Phase 2: Tell her dad. Maybe he could talk her into it. When he got home from work, he asked her to put on the costume so he could see her in it. He thought she was adorable too but again…..ugly cry and there was absolutely no consoling her. He tried not to laugh and he was better at hiding it than I was…but I did see a tear, his face turned bright red, and I could hear an occasional “snort.” Her sisters ignored her because…hey…they were Power Rangers! They had a world to save and homework to do.


My husband said that I should just return it and get her a Power Ranger costume too. I told him that they were non returnable but I would try.

So I went back to the store the next day. I took Gabby with me and I talked to the clerk about our dilemma. Before she could remind me that they were non returnable, Gabby started her ugly cry again. And in that store? It ECHOED. “See what I mean?” The clerk tried not to laugh and let me exchange it. The only Power Ranger costume that was left was a…Red Ranger. And it was 2 sizes too big, but I got the danged thing and I took it home and I altered it so it would fit her.

BUT…now Allie was ticked. Because…well, SHE was the Red Ranger!


I paid Allie. Then she was okay with it….and all was well.


The End. Or IS it?

And NOW…the sequel.

Baby Lilith wants to be a unicorn like her big sister.



Thanks a lot, Gabby. We’re never going to have a baby Simba! Ever!

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