Last week was one of those crazy weeks I can remember. To say the word crazy is an understatement. Let me explain. I have always wanted to read the book, "I was a really cool mom before I had kids". It rings so true to me. I had a vision of myself being so organized and put together and that is just not the case for me a lot of days. Halloween, for example... Even just a few days ago I had a vision of what I wanted to get done. The perfect Halloween. Carved pumpkins sitting on the front porch, all of the Halloween decorations up, the kids' costumes picked out and the basket of candy ready to pass out. None of these happened until the day of Halloween! I was out of commission with a broken computer (now back in business with a new one). And I was in the middle of painting the family room. We went to the pumpkin patch earlier in the day where the kids picked their pumpkins. We pulled over at the grocery store on the way home from church to pick up the bags of candy. After lunch Summer and Forrest carved the jack-o-laterns with David while I painted. David and I were so tired that evening and it sounds silly but I really had to "rally" to get the energy to dress everyone up and head on out. however the minute we saw their little faces light up when we hit the streets it was all worth it. David and I looked at each other and smiled. Totally worth it. Before heading out, we went around to the backyard to take some pictures before it got too dark, I made the kids stand still in their costumes... because any "good" mom would have a picture of her kids' Halloween every year. I took the kids up and down our neighborhood streets while David passed out candy. They each filled their plastic pumpkins to the brim with candy. David and I woke up the next morning to both of them sitting on the floor with their pumpkin buckets in their laps chomping away. If you are not having candy for breakfast on November 1st then I just don't know if we can be friends. It's a must. The end to a very fun Halloween. I know the kids are already looking forward to next year... We will carve the pumpkins earlier next year and I think it is time for me to surrender to the myth of "perfection" in this art of motherhood.
