Busy October

Back in early September, not much was on the calendar except a doctor's appointment or two and a couple birthday parties for my daughter to attend, but now I am suddenly realizing, as the second weekend in October is here, that there is much, much to do this month.  I have to get on the bandwagon about Halloween. It's only three weekends away. I'm sure the really organized mothers got their kids' costumes all lined up weeks ago.  The farthest I've gotten is to find out what my daughter wants to be for Halloween. I pulled out last year's costume and asked gently and enthusiastically if she wanted to be the Statue of Liberty again. She's too smart. Apparently no four year-old wants to be seen two years in a row in the same costume. Maybe I'll tell her when she's a little older that I wore the same prom dress two years in a row.  I just changed the accessories a little. Who noticed?  I've got three weekends to get her costume in order. She wants to be a fairy ballerina, so I at least today I accomplished something for that. I dashed (well, you know, not really!) over to the main shopping street near my building and knocked off three items. When I got home, there were two birthday invitations for the following two weekends. Gotta get presents. That leaves just this weekend to do what a lot of people do in October: go apple and pumpkin picking. The latter is really important because kids need to carve pumpkins well in advance of Halloween night, so you have to get them and do a carving ceremony a few weekends before to let them glow in the window. Professional holiday celebrators know this and have the fronts of the houses all decorated by the first weekend in October. Where am I going to get pumpkins in New York? Where did I get them last year? Oh yes, we drove to Connecticut. Oh, no. It's Columbus Day weekend, the pumpkin patches outside the city are going to be packed. Do I want to face traffic getting in of and out of Manhattan Island? Could just head east to Long Island. Everyone else will be doing that too.  Why didn't I plan this earlier and go last weekend or even in September? Are pumpkins even ripe yet? Now that I think about it, I saw some pumpkins at the farmer's market in downtown Brooklyn the other day, along with some local apples. Could a trip to the farmer's market be our apple and pumpkin picking outing for the year?  I am already feeling guilty that I won't be giving my daughter the full experience. Gosh, holidays are hard. Three weekends and counting. Oh, and gotta make homemade birthday cards for four of my daughter's relatives who have birthdays this month. Next week is my next sonogram, then two more doctor's appointments.  I have to keep cool and collected.  Now I know what pregnant moms go through to make sure their kids get the same holiday fun and regular life. Being pregnant can't stop that. But it sure is a wake up call to learn that juggling is now going to be a part of my life!