The best time of the year is right around the corner. A time for
costumes, sugar highs and spooky stories. Mix all that with blatant
commercialism, and you’ve got a trip to Target during Halloween
pre-season.

I really wanted my son to pick out a nature-type costume. A bird,
perhaps, or a bat. Maybe a nice, politically-correct penguin. But
unfortunately, the folks who stock the Halloween aisle at Target aren’t
remotely interested in nature. They’re interested in sales. And what
sells to the average preschooler is….

Spiderman.

My son fell in love with a red and blue spiderman costume on sight, and he would not be swayed from his
quest to be the webslinging wonder, even when I tried to entice him
with doctor’s scrubs ("Look, buddy, you could be a surgeon!") and a
fireman’s hat ("Check it out sweetie – you could fight fires and carry a
fake plastic axe!"). He was having none of it. It was Spidey or nothing.

So, we shelled out $12.99 for the cheapo polyester spidersuit and
immediately returned to the house so he could don it. He was thrilled,
having gained huge fake muscles and superpowers all in one fell swoop.
I was cackling with laughter as I took pictures – he was posing
and grinning and prancing around, pretending to sling webs from his
wrists. I love this kid so much it breaks my heart. What an absolute
delight he is.

During this Halloween dress rehearsal, he said, "Mama, I’ll fight the bad guys."

"I’m sure you will, sweetheart," I said.

He turned to me very seriously and said, "Don’t worry, Mama. I’ll save you."

I said, "You already do, kiddo. You already do."