Only two days 'till Halloween!

Any of you with children are familiar with the "is it Christmas yet?" syndrome. Time seems to just draaaag for these young ones, especially when they are anticipating a fun event. My angel has awakened every morning this week saying, "Only five days 'till Halloween!" and etc. Her enthusiasm is admirable, but it can get old fast. This is the same child who wanted to decorate for this same "holiday" the second week in September. Although, who could blame her, the stores all were Halloweened up. I told her we had to wait at least until October before we put up Halloween decorations! (BTW, the length of holiday display has been carefully negotiated during the tenure of my marriage, and the final compromise has been holiday decorations may only display for 1 month, with the exception of Christmas decorations which may display for up to 2 months. There are no real ramifications of breaking this ordinance, other than the husband will be annoyed.) She is also bugging me to carve the jack o'lanterns, which at her age is really more of a chore for me. Yes, she will help with the seed removal, the best part purely for it's gross-out factor, but the lion's share of the "carving" will fall on my shoulders. Then I volunteered to help with her party at school, and the parade following that. And then there's trick or treating. And you know what? For all my labors, she probably won't even share her candy with me! (At least while she's awake, wink, wink.) I tell you what, holidays are a lot of work!

My sense of snow

Oh how I love the first snow of the year! Here in southern Montana we got our first snowstorm the other night. I was so excited I ran to fetch my angel and the husband so they could enjoy the beauty of the falling snow illuminated by the street lamp. We sat with our noses fogging up the window for a few seconds, then the two of them wandered off. Clearly they do not hold the first snow in as high esteem as yours truly. I started my mental Christmas list and continued to stare out the window as visions of sugar plums danced in my head.

Then came morning.

I always forget how much longer it takes to get anywhere when you have so much more clothing to don! I had to hunt up a hat and gloves for the angel. (Luckily they were exactly where they were supposed to be...a rare treat around here.) I also had to locate said items for myself so I could knock the snow off the car. While the car is warming up, I had drag the garbage can to the street through 5 inches of snow. A lot harder than it sounds. Where was the husband during all of this, you may ask? (That's what I was asking.) Sleeping soundly in his bed. He may have sensed his parenthood was being called into question just below the bedroom window, because he did wake and dress in time to see us off.

Now, I'm staring out the window, and I gotta tell ya, it's not as pretty anymore. We probably got around 9 or 10 inches out of this storm, and our yard is covered with grassy trails where a snowman was being created. Footsteps mar the front lawn and the vehicles no longer look like cute little snow cakes. The magic is gone, I guess. So...anybody know how long until spring?

These are a few of my least favorite things...

Disclaimer: I love being a mommy. I love my angel with the intensity of a nova. (So it's probably a good thing the peanut is coming along, to diffuse some of that white-hot spotlight.) That being said, there are a few things about motherhood that I could really do without. Below is a short list, though certainly not comprehensive, of things us mommies tend to dislike:

1.) Vomit. Somewhere between "Mommy I don't feel so good" and changing sheets at three in the morning I have wandered out of my comfort zone.

2.) Poop. Normal, contained diapers are bad enough, but we really hate the explosive poop that shoots up the back, over the top and starts back down the other side. I've been tempted to call in a HazMat team.

3.) Shots. They tell us they are necessary. It's for the baby's own good. (Although the jury is still out on that one, but that's a blog for another time.) But the look of betrayal in a 6 month old's eyes is more than sleep deprived mommies can take! (To add insult to injury, we have to pay for this privilege!)

4.) False advertising. Okay, just advertising. Last Christmas, all my angel wanted was a Disney Princess Fantasy DVD Game. In the commercial, the game turned all the girls into princesses! Who wouldn't want that? Explaining to my angel that the game wouldn't actually turn her into a princess was an exercise in futility. It reminded me of an old adage: Never argue with a drunk or a fool. (or a five-year-old)

5.) Other people's kids. Just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to like all kids across the board. My angel has a few friends that are just joys to have over for play dates. She also has a few friends that I no longer permit in my house. The drama of cliques and alpha girls begins in first grade, and the whole thing makes me want to home school her. Sure, some people say that doing so could stunt her social skills, but let me tell you something, some of the "social" skills she's learning in school could use a little stunting. I don't believe that sassy-ness is an inherent trait in six-year-olds. I think it's pack behavior.

Don't get me wrong, there are some really great things about being a mommy. There is absolutely nothing like soft baby skin. (And don't even get me started on the "baby" smell) The magic power of a kiss and a Barbie band-aid to heal boo-boos. A snuggly toddler in feety pajamas, or a snuggly first-grader who isn't feeling well. All this stuff makes up for the rest, I suppose. Except maybe the vomit.