Legolas in Hobbitland

It's not always that fun to make Halloween costumes for boys.

They want to be army guys or grim reapers or zombies.

But luckily this year, Z is still somewhat interested in the Lord of the Rings. 

And, really, we couldn't let all that long, golden hair go to waste.

He already had a Leaf of Lothlorien pin and pointy ears from his birthday.

I make a cloak, modifying this pattern (whose directions I found extremely hard to follow, and ended up winging it).

And a tunic (or jerkin, as I learned this garment is called) somewhat along these lines.

We then went to a nearby woodland called Hobbitland to take pictures.

Well, actually Hobbitland is not its official name, but it's what the locals used to call it, and how C introduced it to me when I first moved here.

Somewhere in the woods, there is supposed to be a stone table and chairs, just the right size for Hobbits.

I've never been able to find them, but the stone bridges and big trees are enough to make the place feel enchanted.

I think Z had fun swooping through the woods in his cloak.

And I couldn't get enough of taking pictures of it billowing out behind him.

I've also decided that the jerkin is a look that needs to come back for little boys.

I used to go to Hobbitland all the time when M was a baby and we lived nearby, and again when E and Z were little, because it has a good double-stroller-worthy trail. But it's been so long since we were there than Z had "not a glimmer" of recollection. I think we need to get back in the habit of hiking here.