It's that time of year again....

I'm getting catalogs in the mail for halloween costumes.  It's the time of the year I dread especially now that Gretchen fits a size 4 for girls.  I must confess that I have never been all the crazy about Halloween.  I certainly only celebrated before because my sister-in-law had an annual party.  Living in an apartment in Evanston in our first seven years of marriage did not bring many if any trick-o-treaters to my door.  Once I had kids, all of that changed!  It was fun to dress up the girl as a chili-pepper (1st year), Princess Leia (2nd year), ladybug (3rd year) and Cat-in-the-Hat (last year).  However this year, she would like to be either Wonder Woman or Daphne (from Scooby Doo).  She wants to be one of these because of my bad parenting....  I let Gretchen look at kids catalogs (usually toy catalogs) but this time of year they all have Halloween costumes in them.  Most of the catalogs are okay.  The costumes seem age appropriate.  However we get several catalogs for just Halloween that end up in Gretchen's little hands where some of the sexiest costumes come in a size 4/6 (for kids).  Don't believe me?  Look at this Purrrty Kitty Child Costume (even the name bothers me....).  I have nothing against the company who makes this because I don't blame them for this costume.  I blame fellow parents who buy this costume!  Why would you want your daughter to dress up like this?  At any age but at age 4?  I don't understand it.  There is another costume called Major Flirt where a girl dresses up in a sexy little army dress with Major Flirt on the chest and knee high boots.  Really?  Sigh....  Depending on your political leanings, you may think I'm a crazy feminist (because as I must point out that boys costumes are not nearly if at all sexualized the way girls costumes are) OR you may think I'm a prude because I'm overreacting about a kids costume.  Either way, I don't care.  If you want your child to dress up like a little tart, that's your business but they won't be getting much candy out of me until they put some clothes on and dress up like the little kids they are.....