Complicated Madness

I remember carving pumpkins near Halloween as a kid. We had a ceramic pumpkin my grandma painted that my mom would put out after my grandma passed away. We trick or treated in the neighborhood. Usually wearing costumes made up of whatever we could find around the house. A cheerleader outfit, onesie pajamas with a baby bottle and slippers, black clothes with cat whiskers drawn on with eyeliner (tht we had to dig for because my mom used blue eyeliner back then so black was hard to come by!). You know, the classics! I'm not sure I ever even shopped for a Halloween costume as a kid?! Maybe that was just me. But maybe the madness of over complicating everything in life has taken over all aspects of life?

I mean, hear me out, my 10 and 11 year olds think a skincare routine is a absolute necessity and twice a day, no less! They get up early to allow time for it and start their bedtime routine early to plan enough time to pamper their barely old than baby skin with jade rollers, serums, oils and lotion. Topped off, of course, with some rose infused facial spray. While I love their desire for self-care and hope they hold onto it into their adult lives when they will inevitably need to remind themselves to allow time forsaid self-care, it is over complicated! No different than their agonizing over what pair of shoes to wear. When I was their age there was one choice, the tennis shoes we got for back to school!

Maybe it's our fault for falling in line with these raging social norms. But there's already so much pressure on them with social media, school, friends, extra-curricular activities. The last thing I want them to worry about is what their wearing. Because it is a worry for them. The old adage "keeping up with the Jones's" now includes keeping up with the Jones's preteens! But I digress.

Halloween decorations are insane. Our house included! It's become a yearly event to pull everything out and place things in their assigned places on the tables and walls throughout our home. Even having some things for each kid's bedroom. It's lovely and we love our tradition. But sometimes when you think about all the things you realize how truly more complicated life has become. But I also think about how much I cherish these memories with my husband and kids. And think about the memories they will carry in their hearts with them as they outgrow trick or treating and decorating the house with us. It's wild to think that one day they'll be living their own lives and it will just be us, putting up the decorations. Which also stops me in my tracks and makes me appreciate every crazy, complicated, overdone second I have with them here with me.

I've included a link to some of my favorite "complicated" Halloween decorations on Amazon.

If you purchase from this link, I will receive a small commission, at no added price to you.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZrVtedUHuuJloSM9a0o4N0folR42r8fTfnR516qJEqU/edit?usp=drivesdk