I have been planning this for awhile and have never followed through, but this year I was going to make it happen. Since we made it to the pumpkin patch last weekend and we already had pumpkins from our trip I was out right determined! I pinned ideas, I had my own ideas, I put a spin on other ideas and I did it!
I made crazy faces on the orange bowls and added popcorn balls to my fruit tray.
I made witch fingers.
I made mustache peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And I even added super sized boogers, GRAPES!
We had pumpkin snot (aka cheetos) and the big hit, dirty cups with worms.
Painting Pumpkins with Friends!
The Angry Bird Pumpkin!
Hard at work!
Sweet Friends!
It was worth every single penny that I spent and all the time I invested to see my boys so happy with their friends. So, what in the world could be wrong with any of this... why would I even think to complain? Because I overwhelmed myself! I had these high expectations for the night and my expectations were not met. I didn't get all the cute pictures I wanted. The kids wanted to run wild and destroy the house - not just eat dinner nicely, paint pumpkins, and then go home. When everyone left and I was cleaning up - I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I was so worried that the other two mom's I invited over thought it was a complete disaster - unorganized, silly, chaos. I even confessed to my husband that I thought it was a disaster. BUT as I was getting my boys ready for bed they only talked about how much fun they had tonight and how they loved having their friends over for a fun Halloween dinner and pumpkin painting. That made me feel so much better and I knew then at that point that the night wasn't a disaster. My boys loved it and that's all that counts!
As all the holidays approach I have a list three miles long of things I want to do with my boys and my family. Traditions I want to start, places I want to take them, things I want to do, crafts and crafts and more crafts that I want to do with them. I mean, really I have a board for each holiday on Pinterest with a million things I want to incorporate from parties to decor for my home. And while I am going to do some fun things with them, tonight made me realize it's okay to go low key - it's okay to let things be! BECAUSE what counts is my boys make memories...that I make memories with my boys. These are things that they are going to cherish and I will cherish. I need to enjoy them and stop worrying about how cute the decor is, if the party is perfect, or if the other parents are overly happy or impressed because that isn't what it is about! While you look at your Pinterest boards and begin planning those fun things with your family and friends remember to take a step back and enjoy it. Even if it means not going to the pumpkin patch for hayrides and petting animals but just stopping at the local pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin out. Even it means not having a party for each holidays - it's okay! Seriously, it is - I promise!
Oh and all those fabulous crafts - the 5 billion you have pinned and can't wait to do - the ornaments, the turkey canvas hand prints, the ghost feet, you know the ones I am talking about! Just pick 2 - maybe 3 if you are feeling really ambitious and go with those. It's okay not to do them all this year because guess what... they will still be there next year and the year after that. Enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, and most important enjoy your time spent with them!
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