Halloween: Tiara's, Puppies, and Avoiding Melted Chocolate on the Car seat

Written by

Shelle Lenssen

The past few days have been filled with glittery wings, sparkling tiaras, a little girl stepping on her own tail, and floppy puppy ears. No, we haven't been whisked off to a magical fairy tale land, but Halloween is just around the corner, and according to my two daughters, that's pretty much the same thing.

I didn't really grasp this in my pre-kids days, but Halloween is a really, really big deal. My seven-year old’s imagination has been in overdrive and she’s been discussing costume ideas since June, finally settling on being a fairy. But she didn't want to be an ordinary fairy; she wanted to be a winter fairy. Apparently winter fairies wear iridescent white gowns, snowflake tiaras, and adorn their faces with glittery make-up. I'm inclined to go along with her plans for three reasons. 1) The costume was inexpensive, 2) The costume easily accommodates full-length leggings and a long-sleeved insulated top, both necessary for a chilly evening, and 3) It's going to be a lot of fun helping her get all decked-out and I'll earn some major mom points for letting her wear make-up.

Learn more about The Moms Code and the tenets of being a happy Mom.

The two-year old, on the other hand is just adorable. She's just now grasping the concept of knocking on a neighbor's door, saying something cute and receiving candy as a reward. She doesn't typically get candy on a regular basis, so this new found knowledge is rocking her little world. Add the bonus of wearing a puppy costume and getting to bark at whomever she wants, and this dear girl is in heaven. She tried on her puppy costume after dinner a couple of days ago and she instantly imagined herself to be a real brown fuzzy puppy. She spent the rest of the evening crawling around on all-fours, barking at her sister and licking anyone who got close to her. We weren't allowed to call her by her name and she was our "Sweetie Puppy" for the night. Toddlers really are the cutest things ever at Halloween and seeing our little girl’s imagination grow and develop is such fun.

While our town has a myriad of Halloween Parties and Harvest Festivals leading up to the 31^st, this year we’re sticking with one party and we’ll go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Previous attempts to cram too many candy-filled evenings into one week have resulted in tired, whining children, frustrated parents, and a car backseat smeared with melted chocolate. By limiting the number of events, hopefully we’re making them feel a bit more special, and saving the collective sanity of our family.

Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find this award-winning book series by clicking here. 

Other holidays throughout the year are given more importance due to their deeper meaning or long-held family traditions, but in our house Halloween is simply about having fun. It’s about planning out the perfect costume and getting dressed up. It’s about too much candy. It’s about the parents swiping some of that candy, and it’s about enjoying our kids while they still have big imaginations.

Halloween Celebration: Alla Greens and Pirate Costumes

Written by Kenna McHugh

“'Tis now the very witching time of night,

When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world.” - William Shakespeare

Six years ago, my daughter, who just turned eleven, and my son were discussing Halloween.  He was excited, almost ecstatic about his costume and trick or treating. My daughter, a former Bumble Bee, Princess and Katniss, said she was not sure she wanted to go trick or treating with the family. I was worried about how our Halloween evening would turn out.

Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find this award-winning book series by clicking here. 

I was in the school pickup line, when my son bounded over to my SUV wearing only a t-shirt, underwear, and pirate socks. Shaken a bit and looking around for his teacher, I asked, “Where is the rest of your costume?”

“Now, mom…I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I couldn’t pull over, park, and question his teacher because cars in the pickup line are not supposed to stop, ever. So I kept going. I looked for his teacher or some adult supervisor, but did not see any person ‘in charge’. I asked him, “What did the teacher say when you took off your costume?”

“Oh mom, Ronnie had bad at our Halloween party. All these kids were eating cupcakes, and drinking soda, and he couldn’t. Because of his alla,..all greens.”

“Allergies?”

In my peripheral, I could see his head nod. Then his face grimaced. “Mom. I felt bad for him. So, I gave him my pirate hook. He was happy. Then, I gave him my eye patch, my hat, and my shirt. He kept smiling and thanking me, mom.”

Trying to keep my eyes the road and my voice calm, I asked another question “What did the teacher do?”

“She smiled and said that was very sweet.”

“And, the pants?”

He explained, “Ronnie has alla greens, mom. He can’t eat lots of different fun stuff, even sprinkles,” his brows pulled together. “He liked my butt pocket and asked if he could have it. I said yes.”

“Allergies. It’s nice to help your friend. Allergies are tough on kids. I understand. But, your pants?”

“All of us are just characters. Characters.” He said as if this explained everything.

“So, your class had a fun Halloween party?”  I asked.

Learn more about The Moms Code and the tenets of being a happy Mom.

He nodded and smiled. Really proud of himself. I pulled the SUV into the driveway, and we got out as my eleven-year-old daughter came up. She looked at her brother, “So, dude, where’s your pirate costume?”

He answered her, “Ronnie’s wearing it. He has alla greens.”

She said, “That’s tough on Halloween. My friend, Sally, has allergies, too. Nice dude.”

He smiled like a big man. She asked, “What are you going to wear for trick or treating?” 

He looked worried.

She said, “No worries, gotcha back. Come on, I have an idea.”

I chuckled to myself, “My kids are growing up, and Halloween will be fine tonight.” I had nothing to worry about, and I just let my kids be who they are, magnificent.

The Mom’s Code: Going Back to School

Written by Eileen Wacker

Somewhere in my motherhood journey, Me, Myself and I became separate players on my personal team. Growing up, I was encouraged to do my best. Overachievement was admired. I worked really hard most of the time and had some pretty good jobs. When I got married, I had to learn to compromise. I’ve never been a fan because true compromise involves giving in, at least partially, on something you care about because it is more important to move forward than to be right, stuck at the top of some pyramid, all alone. Initially, I was horrible at compromising and then big battles with my beloved ensued so I got better at it. I reasoned I have to give some things up for the good of the team.

Learn more about The Moms Code and the tenets of being a happy Mom.

The definition of team got revised when we had kids, four of them, in six years. When they were born, I, as a mom, was born. Things shifted forever and a complete reprioritization drifted down, dressed in the cutest clothes, smelling like baby powder. I was in awe of their complete innocence and total dependence on me. I was determined to be the best mother I could be. They decimated my defenses. I added two dogs into the mix in a moment of weakness and agreed to work from home. Operating in a haze of chaos, I shifted/separated into Me, Myself, and I to cover as many bases as possible in my crazy-paced life.

I rely on my inner compass to make good mom choices but there is a lot of white noise. Last week, my kids had strep throat and the flu, my husband was traveling, I had a work deadline, and there were a lot of shenanigans in one of my kid’s sports caused by a hypercompetitive mom. All three parts of me started to collide and I had to referee the different points of view of Me, Myself and I.

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I said, “I’m the boss here, the leader on the ground. Let’s remember what we signed up for. 

Myself, take a seat over there. You agreed that you would never sleep again. You’re holding down the family. You’re in charge of laundry, dishes, a clean house, groceries and everything else related to the home, including clothes and shoes that fit every growing human in the family. It’s endless and every day. Don’t expect personal hygiene to be important to kids and please work from home so you can morph into a net and catch all the problems that crop up at the house. To keep things interesting, we’ve had food allergies, learning issues, an open heart surgery, crooked teeth, broken bones, and other surprises. And it’s your job to get up with the kids to feed them, nurse them back to health, and talk about their hopes and dreams.”

‘I’ continued, “That’s where we shift it over to Me. 

Those hopes and dreams are your jurisdiction. Me, you were assigned to the kid’s schedules. Sounds easy but it’s a killer. Finding the right schools, doctors, activities and friends. Growing talents and policing the academics is an impossible task. Me, you might feel like you don’t have a lot to work with. Those little humans are filled with flaws and you need a money tree to afford all the activities and sports, never mind dental work. Most of the people in your world are connected with your children in some way, at least for the next eighteen years. You’ve chosen wisely but, Me, please limit the social engineering. The art of using the playdates as a climbing ladder for you and the children is unappetizing. We know it’s a jungle out there in the mom world. Many moms go to great lengths to secure any and every advantage for her child. And stomp on any mom or child that gets in the way of her plan.”

The Moms Code author Eileen Wacker also writes the acclaimed childrens books The Fujimini Adventure Series.  

Me said, “All my hopes and dreams shifted to my children. I’m not sure when this happened. People have asked me many times, ‘What are you hoping for?’  My answer inevitably ends up, ‘I hope my daughter makes the team’ or ‘I hope my son holds it together academically at school’ or ‘I hope my little girl has a happy day at school and someone invites her to something’. This is what happens to all the mom-Mes out there. I never sit and reflect about, “What are my hopes and dreams? What’s in it for ‘Me’? What do I want to accomplish? Because the mom-Mes are reacting to everything thrown in their path.”

‘I’ grew impatient with Me’s soliloquy. “Me, you accepted a long time ago that we needed to prioritize and it was kids first, then marriage, and we would have to give up a few things like our careers and our bodies. We are too deep in this to shift course. We have to keep the train on the tracks, especially with sick kids.”

‘Me’ backpedaled. “I’m not unhappy. But it’s constant, relentless and repeats every day. Of course there are true moments of celebration sprinkled throughout. This is what keeps our hearts so inflated with love. I just want it recognized that this enormous love has exquisite pain associated with it. And, also the puppy has a better haircut than me!”

I laughed and said to Myself, “That reminds me. Keep trying to maintain your sense of humor. Without it, you’re dead. I’m not kidding; keep the lightness, even when you are exhausted, because you are the center of the home.”

Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find this award-winning book series by clicking here. 

Me responded, “Every day at least for a little while, the children are happiness hijackers. They don’t go along with the intricate plans I have painstakingly put in place. How am I supposed to build brilliant, talented, and kind individuals in this complicated, competitive world when kids don’t cooperate at all? The first week of any new schedule is a killer. No one is where they are supposed to be and they are complaining, late and have all the wrong clothes and shoes. Myself is not organized when we have a new schedule. Sorry Myself…”

Myself said, “I gave up everything of myself to gain a different kind of everything. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I’ve never wanted to trade it. I love the little time bandits. I just get tired sometimes and bone crushing weariness flows through me like a crazy uncontained river. So it takes me a few weeks to get a new normal going in the house every time a new season hits. Back to school is like the gong show, and the holidays, well, I don’t know where to begin.”

Me said quietly, “It’s not fair that I’m expected to pretend everything is perfect and make everything look perfect all the time. I’m not complaining, I’m communicating what it’s like out there for moms. I have no Me time! I need to work out. I need a shower alone in the bathroom with no one banging on the door. I’ve been sitting in this darkened corner for a long time and I need to get out. I want to get dressed up and go somewhere. It doesn’t mean I’m not all in on this parenting thing or that I don’t adore my children. I just feel like I lost me.”

Myself grew reflective. “I sometimes have low moments despite a happy marriage, relatively J nice children, a beautiful home and a nice lifestyle. But sometimes I stand on our balcony and stare at all nature’s beauty and majesty and feel isolated and lonely. How can this be when I have four kids that need me from 6 a.m. until the final meltdown at 8 p.m.?”

I said, “It’s because I miss Myself and Me sometimes and I feel a little sad. But I don’t want to be a princess crying into her chop chae so I put my head down and carry on.”

I continued, “We need to be a support system and sounding board to each other. We’ve had some soul crushing moments caused by unbelievably competitive and underhanded tactics in the mom world that we cannot control or avoid, but we have to stay united. All we can control is our reaction, which is far more positive when we agree certain behaviors are helpful and others are destructive. Let’s agree to a mom’s code and set a few boundaries to simplify things.

1   Stop trying to appear and be perfect and, raise perfect children. Let’s kick perfect to the curb as chasing it is wearing Me out. I’m ditching Whole Food bags as the new designer bags for good moms. Soaring Kraft Mac n Cheese sales let us know that there are a lot of secrets and cover-ups in pantries across America.

2   Lessen the hyper-parenting so Myself gets a little break. The kids can cut their meat, set an alarm, and wait ten minutes to be picked up. And although I need the exercise, I don’t have to run up and down the sports field with water, sunscreen, and tissues for my kids.

Having reached this conclusion, I suggested we end with a toast. I got a glass of wine and toasted to Me first. “Here’s to agreeing that compromises suck, but they are a necessary evil in every marriage.” Then I toasted to Myself. ”Here’s to children being the greatest gift and responsibility, all at the same time.” I offer one last toast to all moms. “Here’s to all the mothers out there. You’ve given up your bodies, put your dreams on hold, and execute an agenda that would kill a CEO every day. I celebrate you. I salute you.” Every day for the rest of my life I will be a mother. But today, I’m embracing all the pieces of what makes me who I am.

The Mom’s Code: Going Back to School

Somewhere in my motherhood journey, Me, Myself and I became separate players on my personal team. Growing up, I was encouraged to do my best. Overachievement was admired. I worked really hard most of the time and had some pretty good jobs. When I got married, I had to learn to compromise. I’ve never been a fan because true compromise involves giving in, at least partially, on something you care about because it is more important to move forward than to be right, stuck at the top of some pyramid, all alone. Initially, I was horrible at compromising and then big battles with my beloved ensued so I got better at it. I reasoned I have to give some things up for the good of the team.

Learn more about The Moms Code and the tenets of being a happy Mom.

The definition of team got revised when we had kids, four of them, in six years. When they were born, I, as a mom, was born. Things shifted forever and a complete reprioritization drifted down, dressed in the cutest clothes, smelling like baby powder. I was in awe of their complete innocence and total dependence on me. I was determined to be the best mother I could be. They decimated my defenses. I added two dogs into the mix in a moment of weakness and agreed to work from home. Operating in a haze of chaos, I shifted/separated into Me, Myself, and I to cover as many bases as possible in my crazy-paced life.

I rely on my inner compass to make good mom choices but there is a lot of white noise. Last week, my kids had strep throat and the flu, my husband was traveling, I had a work deadline, and there were a lot of shenanigans in one of my kid’s sports caused by a hypercompetitive mom. All three parts of me started to collide and I had to referee the different points of view of Me, Myself and I.

Like The Moms Code on Facebook  Follow The Moms Code on Twitter.  Find us on Instagram.

I said, “I’m the boss here, the leader on the ground. Let’s remember what we signed up for. 

Myself, take a seat over there. You agreed that you would never sleep again. You’re holding down the family. You’re in charge of laundry, dishes, a clean house, groceries and everything else related to the home, including clothes and shoes that fit every growing human in the family. It’s endless and every day. Don’t expect personal hygiene to be important to kids and please work from home so you can morph into a net and catch all the problems that crop up at the house. To keep things interesting, we’ve had food allergies, learning issues, an open heart surgery, crooked teeth, broken bones, and other surprises. And it’s your job to get up with the kids to feed them, nurse them back to health, and talk about their hopes and dreams.”

‘I’ continued, “That’s where we shift it over to Me. 

Those hopes and dreams are your jurisdiction. Me, you were assigned to the kid’s schedules. Sounds easy but it’s a killer. Finding the right schools, doctors, activities and friends. Growing talents and policing the academics is an impossible task. Me, you might feel like you don’t have a lot to work with. Those little humans are filled with flaws and you need a money tree to afford all the activities and sports, never mind dental work. Most of the people in your world are connected with your children in some way, at least for the next eighteen years. You’ve chosen wisely but, Me, please limit the social engineering. The art of using the playdates as a climbing ladder for you and the children is unappetizing. We know it’s a jungle out there in the mom world. Many moms go to great lengths to secure any and every advantage for her child. And stomp on any mom or child that gets in the way of her plan.”

The Moms Code author Eileen Wacker also writes the acclaimed childrens books The Fujimini Adventure Series.  

Me said, “All my hopes and dreams shifted to my children. I’m not sure when this happened. People have asked me many times, ‘What are you hoping for?’  My answer inevitably ends up, ‘I hope my daughter makes the team’ or ‘I hope my son holds it together academically at school’ or ‘I hope my little girl has a happy day at school and someone invites her to something’. This is what happens to all the mom-Mes out there. I never sit and reflect about, “What are my hopes and dreams? What’s in it for ‘Me’? What do I want to accomplish? Because the mom-Mes are reacting to everything thrown in their path.”

‘I’ grew impatient with Me’s soliloquy. “Me, you accepted a long time ago that we needed to prioritize and it was kids first, then marriage, and we would have to give up a few things like our careers and our bodies. We are too deep in this to shift course. We have to keep the train on the tracks, especially with sick kids.”

‘Me’ backpedaled. “I’m not unhappy. But it’s constant, relentless and repeats every day. Of course there are true moments of celebration sprinkled throughout. This is what keeps our hearts so inflated with love. I just want it recognized that this enormous love has exquisite pain associated with it. And, also the puppy has a better haircut than me!”

I laughed and said to Myself, “That reminds me. Keep trying to maintain your sense of humor. Without it, you’re dead. I’m not kidding; keep the lightness, even when you are exhausted, because you are the center of the home.”

Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find this award-winning book series by clicking here. 

Me responded, “Every day at least for a little while, the children are happiness hijackers. They don’t go along with the intricate plans I have painstakingly put in place. How am I supposed to build brilliant, talented, and kind individuals in this complicated, competitive world when kids don’t cooperate at all? The first week of any new schedule is a killer. No one is where they are supposed to be and they are complaining, late and have all the wrong clothes and shoes. Myself is not organized when we have a new schedule. Sorry Myself…”

Myself said, “I gave up everything of myself to gain a different kind of everything. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I’ve never wanted to trade it. I love the little time bandits. I just get tired sometimes and bone crushing weariness flows through me like a crazy uncontained river. So it takes me a few weeks to get a new normal going in the house every time a new season hits. Back to school is like the gong show, and the holidays, well, I don’t know where to begin.”

Me said quietly, “It’s not fair that I’m expected to pretend everything is perfect and make everything look perfect all the time. I’m not complaining, I’m communicating what it’s like out there for moms. I have no Me time! I need to work out. I need a shower alone in the bathroom with no one banging on the door. I’ve been sitting in this darkened corner for a long time and I need to get out. I want to get dressed up and go somewhere. It doesn’t mean I’m not all in on this parenting thing or that I don’t adore my children. I just feel like I lost me.”

Myself grew reflective. “I sometimes have low moments despite a happy marriage, relatively J nice children, a beautiful home and a nice lifestyle. But sometimes I stand on our balcony and stare at all nature’s beauty and majesty and feel isolated and lonely. How can this be when I have four kids that need me from 6 a.m. until the final meltdown at 8 p.m.?”

I said, “It’s because I miss Myself and Me sometimes and I feel a little sad. But I don’t want to be a princess crying into her chop chae so I put my head down and carry on.”

I continued, “We need to be a support system and sounding board to each other. We’ve had some soul crushing moments caused by unbelievably competitive and underhanded tactics in the mom world that we cannot control or avoid, but we have to stay united. All we can control is our reaction, which is far more positive when we agree certain behaviors are helpful and others are destructive. Let’s agree to a mom’s code and set a few boundaries to simplify things.

1   Stop trying to appear and be perfect and, raise perfect children. Let’s kick perfect to the curb as chasing it is wearing Me out. I’m ditching Whole Food bags as the new designer bags for good moms. Soaring Kraft Mac n Cheese sales let us know that there are a lot of secrets and cover-ups in pantries across America.

2   Lessen the hyper-parenting so Myself gets a little break. The kids can cut their meat, set an alarm, and wait ten minutes to be picked up. And although I need the exercise, I don’t have to run up and down the sports field with water, sunscreen, and tissues for my kids.

Having reached this conclusion, I suggested we end with a toast. I got a glass of wine and toasted to Me first. “Here’s to agreeing that compromises suck, but they are a necessary evil in every marriage.” Then I toasted to Myself. ”Here’s to children being the greatest gift and responsibility, all at the same time.” I offer one last toast to all moms. “Here’s to all the mothers out there. You’ve given up your bodies, put your dreams on hold, and execute an agenda that would kill a CEO every day. I celebrate you. I salute you.” Every day for the rest of my life I will be a mother. But today, I’m embracing all the pieces of what makes me who I am.