Actually I don’t worry as much as it comes out on here. Just like to exploit the neurotic side my mothering skills lol. Thanks for reviewing!
Journal, Diary, & Blogging / Scary times
Every year I hold my breath when October rolls around. That’s because I dread what’s coming, Halloween. With three kids now, there’s an air around here that resembles a newspaper office frantically trying to meet its deadline. It doesn’t help that everyone and their brother in this small town ask my kids that age-old question: ”And what are YOU going to be for Halloween this year?” Can they think of nothing else to talk about?
Actually, my kids begin to think of the “perfect Halloween costume” long before the leaves turn colors. One early summer, I found my son doodling in his notebook, designing a most elaborate superhero costume. It really was an excellent drawing, just not one that I could see myself recreating. Have I mentioned that I have absolutely NO sewing skills? Aside from sewing on a button, I’m pretty helpless when it comes to making anything wearable. Especially if it’s to be worn in public. Somehow every year we survive, either with the help of Grandma or the wonderful world of ready-made costumes. Yes, I mean store-bought (gasp!). I’m not trying to win the Mother-of-the-Year award here, just trying to make my kids happy on one of the most crucial holidays for kids today.
This year, I was feeling pretty confident. Nobody was asking to be a toilet or other obscure object which would require a lot of planning and creativity, not to mention a few too many all-nighters on my part. Then again, nobody was begging to be a ghost either, which would make my life so much easier! No sooner were the school books cracked open, and my son decided he wanted to be a penguin. I tried not to panic as he told me this, tried not to think about where in the world I would ever find a decent sew-free penguin costume. He quickly squelched my imminent anxiety attack by reassuring me that his buddy would be loaning him his old penguin costume. Bingo! That’s one less to worry about. Next, my MMC (that’s moody middle child) decided to finally read my mind and give me yet another break. She announced that she wanted to be a Husky, exactly what her older brother was last year! I thought that it just might be possible I would be resting easy this October, lying on the couch and eating bon-bons, or whatever it is we stay-at-home moms supposedly do.
So now, all that’s left is my youngest. This should be a piece of cake, right? I mean, 5-year-olds are usually content to dress up like ANYTHING. Basically, they just like to have an excuse to dress up. So I hardly had a care in the world as I casually browsed in the children’s resale shop recently. Then, I spotted it. An adorable cheerleading costume, JUST IN HER SIZE! Could this really be happening? I looked around, sure that someone else would snatch it away and end my dream of the perfect, lazy Halloween. I looked back and there it was, just waiting for me to grab it. As if on automatic pilot, my breathing exercises kicked in. I willed myself not to hyperventilate right there in the little girl’s section. Driving home in the car however, I started to panic again. What if she HATES it? I decided that I would have to prepare my best sales pitch ever tothe most strong-willed client I know, meaning of course, my 5-year-old. Well, no sales pitch was needed because she loved it, especially the red pom-poms that I hastily purchased at the dollar store.
Fast forward two weeks later, and I’ve almost forgotten that Halloween is coming up. There has been no driving around to all the stores, desperately searching for a costume that would appease each child AND that would fit them. There have been no late nights frantically trying to thread a needle. What DID I all do this month? I can’t recall, but my laundry pile certainly is showing signs of neglect (some things never change). Anyway, I’m driving my youngest to school, and out of nowhere, she makes a bold announcement from her throne (in this case, her booster seat). She will NOT be a cheerleader this year. Let me rephrase that -she will NOT be a STUPID cheerleader this year. Oh boy. I start giving my pep talk of why she should be a cheerleader and how she’s going to be the cutest cheerleader ever. Well, there’s no changing her mind. At a recent haunted house, she spotted her best friend, wearing the cutest homemade kitty costume. Apparently, it had quite an effect on my little one. I wasn’t going to panic though, until I remembered this was the same child who threw a whopping tantrum in the final hour last Halloween. She ended up switching costumes just hours before we were to go to the big community party. Sure, it was one from our dress-up box, but it was too small and showed signs of too much tea partying. I was NOT going to repeat that fiasco again. Finally, I resorted to bribery. I don’t care what any of the so-called “parenting experts” say. It works and is absolutely necessary in emergency situations such as the one we were currently facing. I shamelessly used all the tried and true bribes – candy, money, privileges etc. I even offered to make her a kitty costume (don’t ask me how) to play with later. She was not to be appeased. Now there was nothing left to do, except resort to my worst nightmare. I told her how could I possibly be a cheerleader all by myself without her? She stopped wailing for one brief, heavenly minute and looked at me incredulously. Mommy would be a cheerleader too? I gritted my teeth as I answered her that yes, I would be a cheerleader with her. What was I saying? This was the very thing I made fun of in high school, the very thing that I aspired NOT to be. Oh well, it’s only just for one night, right? Now I just have to find an outfit. The problem is, our local schools are so small, they have no cheerleaders. I guess I’ll be making one more last-minute trip into town, hoping to find one of those pre-packaged cheerleading costumes. Of course, it has to fit my post-baby body. Heck, I may just get into the spirit and spring for some tacky pom-poms as well – anything to make the kids happy until next Halloween. I’m getting spooked just thinking about it.
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DarkAngel reviewed Version 2 -
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I really loved this whole blog entry. It was a fun read, and
being a mom I can totally relate how kids can be when they want something
bad enough. I only have one child though, and she decided no trick-or-
treating for her, so I didn’t have to deal with all that this year LOL!
I would have like to see how the outcome ended, you as a cheerleader.
Maybe, you can do a continuation of the story. The story amused me,
and touched me at the same time, and I am sure many mothers can relate
to these scary times LOL!
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Wordtinker reviewed Version 2 -
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blogorrhea reviewed Version 2 -
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i don’t think halloween is really that crucial for kids. even though it was one of only three days a year i was allowed to eat candy as a kid, my only memories of it are having fun with my siblings. i’m betting your kids will have lots of fond memories. you worry too much! from the looks of things you’re a fine mother. i hope you’re having some fun too. your little girl wanted to be a cheerleader? she’ll grow out of it, lol. you have a great sense of humor jadecat.
varo_borja reviewed Version 1 -
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Your children sound charming. My girlfriend has two kids and I know most of the ins and outs of Halloween, Easter, Paddy’s Day (lol) etc. I don’t have any kids of my own, but I treat hers as if I was their Dad. Your journaling is nice, and I believe that you thoroughly met your goals. Good luck with raising your three darlings, and best wishes for Halloween, Christmas, and whatever else life may throw at you in the form of commercialized, overblown candy and costume festivities. Happy Halloween.
josemandiaz reviewed Version 1 -
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i sometimes day dream over the demands of parent hood and as ridiculous as it sounds your story only helped to further solidify the romanticized notions i have over what it must be like to be a parent. I mean obviously i can wait but’ i cant!!! you know what i mean?
Your news paper office allusion was frighteningly dead on. I hope to eventually read more of your parenting anecdotes and parables. i have a four year old younger brother and a 14 year old younger brother and a 24 year old brother who suffers from aspergers syndrome so even thought im technically the middle child at 23 (with an older sister of 25) i was always the capable older brother. So in a sense i can vaguely relate to the parental demands, mostly just wen it comes to the four year old.
kids can be downright ridiculous.
please keep posting.
best
-jose.
avedis reviewed Version 1 -
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A good topic, and you kept it interesting.
However, you are making several common mistakes in this writing. Instead of listing every occurrence, I will give examples of each category.
1. You have decided to take the ‘conversational’ approach. This is very hard to maintain well. I think it stops working when you put things between hyphens. E.g. “..recently and – lo and behold – there was..”. Try “…recently. Lo and behold…” works much better.
2. I find a lot of your sentences too long.
E.g. “That’s because I know what’s coming – Halloween – and with three kids now…. meet its deadline. “
Something like “..what’s coming, Halloween. With three kids…” reads much better
3. I find some of your phrasing confuses. e.g. “making something that’s wearable, especially in public”. This is saying “make something in public”, not what I think you meant.
4. You interchange tenses. E.g. “My son decided he wants..” > “My son decided he wanted”. I find this always grates.
If you agree with the above, look for other occurrences of these examples and do some reworking. I think this would improve your entry a great deal.
Zakari39 reviewed Version 1 -
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chuckles
So you resort to being a cheerleader to placate the 5 year old – man, this parenting lark sounds way too difficult. Surely Hostage Negotiation or sorting Multinational Trade Contracts out is easier – and pays better!
Well written – ‘I will not be a STUPID cheerleader’ – made me laugh – I can just imagine a child on a booster seat ordering you around…
Thankfully – in the UK – Hallowwen costumes don’t include superheroes or other fantasy figures – it’s hard enough with the whole: Witch, Zombie, Skeleton etc group of characters…!
RoadHousePress reviewed Version 1 -
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Having a couple of grandkids and three grown children myself, I enjoyed your journal piece. You did a good job describing your relationship with your children but I would have liked to have seen more about them. You could use this as a baseline to write a short story where something happens on Halloween. Make it up. The hardest thing for me to do when I started using my personal journals was to let them evolve into something other then what they were.
yang reviewed Version 2 -
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that was pretty funny. mom’s like this are the best. when you brought up the girl saying she wouldn’t be a cheerleader, i imagined my sister saying that and my mom slamming her head on the steering wheel. i liked the subtle humor in this piece and the way it’s said. very well done!
jarodkintz reviewed Version 2 -
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haha yay! A Cheerleader. I also want to be a cheerleader, but without any bloomers on. Great piece, nice flow again, and nice voice and tone. Very stable throughout, and very enjoyable. It had a good buildup, and a great, unforseen, ending. I might want to add more quotes from the five year old though, you know, some of the funny tings she says. That would add another level of cute onto it, and I love the crazy things little kids say.
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