Merry Hallow-giving?!

Am I the only one noticing that the Christmas decorations are out in the stores earlier each year? Did I forget to take my crazy pills?!

I have always laughed at the fact that the stores seem to push the selling of items for Christmas and its decorations extremely early. In the summer months the malls would have the "Back to School" sales start with specials on clothing for the fall and for school. Then with those, the introduction of fall decor: Pumpkins, scarecrows, decorations for the home in oranges, browns, burgundies, and dark yellows.

The notebooks, pencils, folders, paste that the weird kids ate and backpacks are out next. As a little girl, this was the very worst sight to behold during my months of summer fun. My sister felt the same way. Our days of roller skating in the garage were coming to an end. I felt the end of the world was near and that before I would know it, I'd be back in school, day in and day out. I felt I would be held hostage by the state and forced to learn things I didn't want to learn. I wanted to play!! Never mind the fact that I still had plenty of time. Drama, anyone?! Where do my princesses get being drama queens from?! When one is a child, Christmas takes what seems like ten years to come and summer is over in a matter of days. Consequently, the opposite it true once one is a parent. Funny how life works. School starts as early as August in some states and as late as September, after Labor Day, in others. The school supplies would be out in the stores around Independence Day and depending on where we were living, the summer was either just getting started or winding down in my mind. My dad was in the Navy so we were like ping pong balls, moving from coast to coast, country to country. Some summers really were shorter than others when we left an area that got out for the summer later and moved to area that started school in early August. Those times blew chunks. No matter where we were, I could feel the days slipping by...faster and faster. It was as if, as the days moved forward and toward the days I would be trapped in school, someone, maybe my worn out mom, ;o) was pressing a fast forward button.

I soon reconciled myself to the days of "homework first, then play time." I would look forward to my birthday in the middle of October and Halloween! Halloween is still one of my very favorite holidays and a lot of my most cherished childhood memories were on this holiday. My mom would make our costumes as young children and sometimes Halloween snacks for our classes at school. We'd eat her homemade chili, a tradition I now have with my own family, and then my dad would take my sister and me out Trick-or-Treating. Then, several years later, my little brother came along and my dad would take the three of us out while my mom stayed home and handed out candy to all the little princesses, super heroes, witches and such.

My younger sister (left) and me

                            

Halloween in the early 1980's. 

After my stomachache subsided and the cavities were filled by the dentist, the glorious Christmas decorations and toys would be out in the stores. Never mind the fact that we hadn't even bought, cooked and swallowed our turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Christmas was coming!! Yahoooooo! Then time began to creep by very, very, verrrrry slowly.

That was then. Back in the days of yore. And when dinosaurs roamed the earth. You see, my kids think we are ancient. All kids think their parents are when they are young. Now the stores are pushing Christmas, sometimes before Halloween is ever even considered. It seems like Halloween is even skipped over. Not a money maker I suppose.

Three years ago, a couple days after having Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and I were out running errands. Christmas had exploded on the scene. It was October the eleventh. This made my two and a half year old Cinderella very pleased. I was left feeling like I was in some time warp and a panic swept over me as I realized I now had TWO kids! I was tired and worn out from just giving birth, having a newborn and a toddler and a house to run and it was about to be the end of me. A few months later I really struggled with something that only God and the King of the Crazies know about. I had postpartum depression and it took me almost a year to fight my way out to the other side. It was a hard time in my life and it was hard on my family but we came through stronger because of it. I will share more on this in a later post. I am starting to be of the mind set that if I can help someone, even just one person, I can get over the fact that it is embarrassing to admit.

A woman can have Post Partum Depression (or PPD) any time in the year after giving birth.

So, there you have it. It may feel like you are in some time warp or "Back in Time" a la Marty McFly, but...

MERRY HALLOW-GIVING!!