I think this is the last year that I'm able to greatly influence my children's Halloween costume choices. Although they've always had the opportunity to voice their opinions, I've always been by their side guiding them to make the right choices. Take this horribly written, terribly documented and very bad titled post from two-thousand-and-eight called "Parenting revelations aren't on sale" as an example. I just wasn't ready for my preschooler to dress up as Hannah Montana.

Just like I wasn't ready for my nine-year-old son to dress up as the headless horseman with a decapitated head oozing blood, like he intended this year. Or allowing my seven-year-old daughter to wear a belly dancer costume baring her midriff in mid-October in Ohio. Even my preschooler had different intentions than I did this year and tried to convince me that "Gothic Cheerleader" was just fine for a four-year-old. I guess all their initial choices were fine; but, if you give a sixteen-year-old her first pair of Louboutins what is she going to look forward to when she's thirty-six?

"You have an entire lifetime of things to look forward to, kiddos. Making your own decisions is one of them." I said.

My sassy cheerleader, spooky ghost and talented horse back rider looked back at me and in so many words, in unison, replied "We'll have a lifetime of choices to make on our own, Mama!"

True that, kiddos. You have amazing things to look forward to now and when you are on your own too. For the meantime eat your spinach for strength, brush your teeth three times a day and make sure your mom screens all of your Halloween candy tonight.

How about in your neck of the woods, who decides what the kids will wear?

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Elsewhere:

Pretty incredible, no? Nothing was spot treated or photoshopped. A #WhirlpoolMoms review.

Bravo to the Bob Evans PR firm that didn't require a blogger to attend the festivities but allowed the kiddos to be the eyes and ears.