Halloween ushers in my season of sleeplessness and panic

The insanity is coming, the insanity is coming. As *soon* as that last treat is handed out for Halloween and I turn off our front light, I go into panic mode.

Two birthdays (eight and six years old this year - can't be true!) and Christmas will be here before I know it and my children will wake up on Christmas morning without gifts because Santa Claus totally forgot to go shopping come.

The chances of that are NILL, but I still get a rush of anxiety on November 1st.

How will I get it all done? When will we buy the tree...decorate the tree...decorate the house...find the stockings...plan the meal...squeeze in two birthday parties...oh, and two baptism "do-overs" this year (more on that later)...see...panic...sweating...breathing heavy.....

Excuse me while I calm down by raiding the Halloween candy. In a moment of brilliance I bought full size candy bars this year. Unemployment hasn't set in with me, apparently...nor has the fact that those jeans from last season are now as tight as stretchy pants. Add "back to the gym" somewhere in there...fantastic.

As for the baptisms, my children will be spending their birthday celebration at our church - getting baptized - again. I guess Catholic God doesn't recognize all sacraments of baptism, especially those held at Congregational churches, so we are going to do it again...for formalities sake. My daughter is thrilled. I've already given two churches "gifts" for their services of baptism, now I get to do it again...so I'm not so thrilled. But if 15 20 25 years from now my daughter wants to get married in the church she loves, she will be able to without any issues. Unless she marries a divorced man then she won't be able to...but that will not be MY fault. I'm all about getting myself off the hook...