By Popular Demand: Underage Chinese Olympic Gymnast
Since Halloween in NYC is practically a week-long event, we decided that we'd dress Peanut up as an underage Chinese Olympic gymnast for this past weekend's neighborhood festivities. In order to convince her to play her part, all we had to do was tell her that one of her several costumes this week was going to be "Princess Gymnastics." Naturally, the magic word there was "Princess." My four-year-old daughter is a total sucker for anything princess-related.
Needless to say, the Peanut's costume was a huge hit. On the back of her gymnastics outfit, we taped a fake birth certificate stating that she was really 16. However, even without the sign, most people figured out the costume right away and immediately started laughing their asses off. We can't even count how many people came up to us to say that hers was the funniest, most politically incorrect, and ironic costume they'd ever seen.
The only time we worried about possibly offending someone was when we ran into a group of Chinese tourists. As the fifteen of them passed the Peanut, BossLady and I tepidly held our breaths. At first, they seemed very serious and looked at the Peanut very closely. When she turned around and they saw her fake birth certificate for the first time, we were absolutely sure they were going to be offended. So imagine our surprise when they suddenly started laughing hysterically and asked, through their interpreter, whether they could take photos of her. Naturally, we let out a sigh of relief and obliged.
Parenting is hard work. We do it because we love our children more than anything and we want to raise them as best as we possibly can. That's why we endure the sleepless nights, the endless worry, and the relentless tantrums. But really, you've got to have a sense of humor about the whole thing.
Because until they're old enough to run out and buy you beer, being a comedy prop is one of the best things they've got going in their favor, right?
Happy Halloween!
OMG, that costume is freaking hysterical!
Posted by: Marlene | October 27, 2008 at 11:15 AM
awesome.. first post. great costume. hilarious!! i don't see 30 clips in her hair though!!
Posted by: angela | October 27, 2008 at 11:16 AM
bahhh.. beat by marlene.
Posted by: angela | October 27, 2008 at 11:16 AM
LOVE the Peanut's costume! Good work, folks!
Posted by: Alison H. | October 27, 2008 at 11:21 AM
OW! Quality eye shadow.
Posted by: JJ Daddy-O | October 27, 2008 at 11:33 AM
priceless!
Posted by: Ed Shin | October 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM
That is hilarious. She looks just too perfect. Such a gorgeous little girl. :)
Posted by: Sassy | October 27, 2008 at 11:48 AM
RIGHT!
Posted by: 3boys1mommy | October 27, 2008 at 11:54 AM
SO hilarious! And what a cutie.
Posted by: Faith | October 27, 2008 at 11:59 AM
I thought that was a REAL Chinese gymnist at first! =P
Posted by: Gloria | October 27, 2008 at 12:01 PM
That's great! Where did you get the gold medal? It's very impressive. I can't wait til my daughter can run out and buy me beer!
Posted by: Laura | October 27, 2008 at 12:03 PM
I can't stop giggling at the photo. I just showed it to my whole office and we're all laughing our butts off. Great costume, Peanut!
Posted by: Isabelle | October 27, 2008 at 12:04 PM
This is much better than the 6-year-old we saw dressed as Sarah Palin. That was a little creepy!
Posted by: Eleanor | October 27, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I thought this was a great idea but I was speechless by how well you put it into reality!
BTW could you post a copy of the fake birth certificate?
Posted by: Korpil | October 27, 2008 at 12:10 PM
The "Princess Gymnast" idea was sheer genius.
Posted by: Sebastian | October 27, 2008 at 12:14 PM
AWESOME.
Posted by: TJ | October 27, 2008 at 12:15 PM
That's hilarious! I love Halloween costumes with a sense of humor, and your girl pulls it off perfectly!
Posted by: Bethany | October 27, 2008 at 12:16 PM
10!
Posted by: Black Hockey Jesus | October 27, 2008 at 12:31 PM
So wrong but so funny! Hats off to this year's best Halloween costume.
Posted by: Jacob W. | October 27, 2008 at 12:34 PM
More proof that EVERYONE looks good with blue eye shadow. Awesome costume.
Posted by: nonlineargirl | October 27, 2008 at 12:34 PM
HAHAHAHA!!!
Posted by: cindy | October 27, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Awesome. No, wait... awesomely AWESOME!
Posted by: Velma | October 27, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Very regal, indeed. Blue eyeshadow and red velour. Perfect.
Posted by: Mama Nabi | October 27, 2008 at 01:27 PM
What a great way to start the week! Not only an MD post but also a hilarious photo of the Peanut. Great costume!
Posted by: Heather B. | October 27, 2008 at 01:37 PM
funniest costume i have ever seen...
Posted by: neal | October 27, 2008 at 01:45 PM
I loved it in theory, I'm floored by the reality!
Posted by: Captain Dumbass | October 27, 2008 at 01:45 PM
I wish I lived in NYC so I could see this costume in person. I think I would have been wiping tears of laughter from my face. This is a GREAT costume!
Posted by: Audrey in HK | October 27, 2008 at 01:52 PM
MD, you when the funniest costume idea EVER. Also, the Peanut is gorgeous and she's going to grow up to be amazing having you guys as parents. Cheers!
Posted by: woojum | October 27, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Just one of the hundreds of people wishing they'd thought of it first....
Posted by: ClumberKim | October 27, 2008 at 01:57 PM
Brilliant.
Posted by: Ten Feet of Steel | October 27, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Genius. Simply genius.
Posted by: Burgh Baby | October 27, 2008 at 02:00 PM
fantastic,
missing the tons of glitter and the hair clips.. do try and add that on for the full effect
Posted by: | October 27, 2008 at 02:07 PM
How funny would it be if you could get a bunch of other 4-year-old Asian-American girls and go as the entire Chinese Olympic team?
Posted by: Barbara J. | October 27, 2008 at 02:15 PM
OMG. Thank you for the hearty chuckle.
I'd dress myself up as one but I'd look more like OVERAGE Chinese Gymnast.
Sigh.
Posted by: Motherhood Uncensored | October 27, 2008 at 02:19 PM
I love it!
Posted by: mothergoosemouse | October 27, 2008 at 02:21 PM
Oh, GAWD, I am laughing so hard right now!!! I wish now that a) I'd lost those few extra pounds from the baby so that I'd look better in a red velour leotard; or b) my daughter had her father's black hair and I'd just make her do it as a 10-month-old. Nicely done, guys, seriously.
Posted by: elsu | October 27, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Awesome! And with that birth certificate she can start doing beer runs for you in just five short years!
Posted by: the weirdgirl | October 27, 2008 at 02:47 PM
Great costume! That's hysterical! I love it! :)
Posted by: Melissa | October 27, 2008 at 03:00 PM
So creative! I love it. Especially the frosty blue eyeshadow.
Posted by: 1969 | October 27, 2008 at 03:04 PM
OMG, my friends and I are here laughing our butts off. Every time we look at this photo, we start howling again. What a GREAT costume idea! The Peanut is absolutely adorable.
Posted by: Estelle | October 27, 2008 at 03:04 PM
Dude, that's awesome. She's adorable.
Posted by: Papa Bradstein | October 27, 2008 at 03:25 PM
PURE GENIUS!
Posted by: Brent | October 27, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Excellent!
Posted by: Keri | October 27, 2008 at 04:19 PM
the blue eye shadow makes the whole thing!
Posted by: pixie sticks | October 27, 2008 at 04:22 PM
It's been said many times, but it had to be said again: AWESOME INDEED.
Maybe I can pull this costume off as well. Oh no wait, I was going as a North Korean spy already.
Posted by: euphrosynely | October 27, 2008 at 04:53 PM
The Peanut is so much more beautiful than any of the Chinese gymnasts!
Posted by: genevieve | October 27, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Good god, she is perfection! Frigging hilarious. Best costume EVER. But only one gold medal? She should have at least 5, being the best Chinese Gymnast ever!
Posted by: margalit | October 27, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Can't... stop... laughing. So wrong it can only be right. The eyeshadow is a nice touch btw.
Posted by: karla | October 27, 2008 at 06:25 PM
I don't see any glitter. Was there glitter?
Part of the reason this works is that Peanut is petite and lithe. Joles could never pull this off due to her girth and thigh circumference.
Posted by: KC | October 27, 2008 at 08:11 PM
You are a genius. Not only have you bested our Halloween costumes by a mile, you are now officially the first parenting blog that Nate reads--and that includes mine.
Posted by: Mom101 | October 27, 2008 at 09:16 PM