A love-note to young moms on Halloween…

I cannot believe it’s Halloween. First of all, wasn’t it just July? And second of all, Lucy has decided she does not like this holiday. How is that even possible? My last baby who has always had stars in her eyes about this holiday has lost the magic. That’s a sad day! She wasn’t too happy with me when I started pulling out the Halloween decorations so I stopped. I mean, if my one kid home doesn’t care to pull out things like Mr. Bones then why would I? Win-win right? But sitting here in this non-Halloween house makes me wish I had pulled them out anyway. Maybe they are more for me? I’m a little nostalgic for the good old days. So I wanted to write a little love-note to young moms on Halloween.

Dear Young Moms,

YOU’VE GOT THIS!!

Some day you will be sitting alone at your house, your kids grown out of that eye-sparkle that comes with Halloween and you’ll miss it. I promise.

The Chaos on Halloween

Oh, I do remember those days of all those costumes and chaos!

The kids deciding on one thing and then changing.

And then changing again.

The mess. The sugar overload. The make-up. Being loaded up to the brim with their discarded costume parts by the end of the night.

The school carnivals, trying to keep track of kids. The school parties I showed up to, lugging a toddler along. The late nights and the wailing that ensued when we were all living on so little sleep.

The candy wrappers strewn around the house and under the couch cushions.

The Love on Halloween

But sitting here from my vantage point all the chaos has melded into such tender and happy memories.

The excited sparkle in kids eyes.

The glee in figuring out the “perfect” Halloween outfit.

The smell of the Halloween costume isle at Target.

The interaction with friends and neighbors, the chili cook-offs. The night when my friends and I had the grand idea to order pizza in our Halloween driveway trick-or-treating gathering instead of making food, and how the pizza guy never showed up.

Sometimes I would give anything to go back and re-live what you, young mamas, are mustering through right about now.

Yes, even the chaos and mess wrapped around all the fun.

Those were the days!

I think we got pretty good at repurposing outfits:) This witch one was a popular one.

“Mitt Romney” was one of Claire’s all-time favorites:

Max and I were pretty proud of this creation one year:

Three girls wore this Alice in Wonderland dress Elle and I made one year:

Claire and I made this “doll” outfit below:

Ok, I could go on and on with those suckers, but thank you for coming down memory lane with me today.

So, dear young mothers,

Remember this time with littles, although it seems like it will last forever, it won’t.

They will grow up.

Yes, they will move onto bigger things, and your heart will throb with love for the “new them.”

But believe me, you will miss this.

Halloween.

The chaos and the mess.

You’ll never get it back.

So enjoy it extra for me, will you?

And hug those little goblins and witches and princesses a little extra for me too.

They are pure gold.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Love, Shawni

XOXO

p.s. If you want a good Halloween dinner idea, even though we’re past the dress up days, we’re still doing our traditional chicken corn chowder soup tonight!