Competition

Halloween is pretty important for kids. You'd know this if you came anywhere near our house in the last two weeks. My adorable girls have been counting down the days, checking the progress on the costumes (which until yesterday was non-existent). They've been barking orders about lawn decorations (but not helping out). And they've been dancing circles around the halloween candy bags like little vultures.

Things are pretty hectic here; Chris and I both work, there are three little ones underfoot, and the girls' and my own expectations are usually pretty unattainable. We set the bar high.

Yesterday, with the clock ticking down, I got to it.

In the few hours before I had to go to work, I managed to  prep a pretty yummy pot pie for dinner, bake pumpkin cupcakes with green slime frosting and black sprinkles,  and make some progress on Mae's Fiery Phoenix and Bela's Ghost Bride costumes. I cleaned the house a bit, threw on some clothes, grabbed my breast pump, and headed out the door when the babysitter came.

At the tail end of the day, I came home, fed the baby, got the pot pie in the oven, did homework with the girls, and finished the costumes.

Did they thank me? Did they rave about my ability to manage so many tasks so well? Did they fall over themselves trying to reach me to give me hugs for making all their wishes come true?

No. They complained that the costumes weren't just right. They stuck their little fingers in the frosting of 50% of the cupcakes. They cried about the two brussels sprouts I put in the pot pie.

And then Dad came home, with a single green light bulb in his hand, to add to the spooky decor. A single green energy efficient lightbulb to screw into our front window light, and you would have thought the Halloween Master himself had walked in the front door.

DADDY!!!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris laughed and gave me that look, the one that acknowledges that this is not a competition, but even so - he won. I gave him my shitty little laugh that really means this is not a competition but I'll still beat you in the end.

Within two minutes of his homecoming Mae dropped (and broke) the awesome green light while she was spinning in circles and singing his praises.

We exchanged playful glances, my opponent and I. And I walked to the kitchen to dish them up some Halloween Cupcakes (made with leftover butternut squash, whole wheat flour, and that Garam Masala I threw in when I mistook it for Cinnamon).  As they stuffed them in their mouths I thought to myself: they don't know it, but I just won.

But hey, this isn't a competition. Right?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!