Kaza has the Keys to Kat's Kingdom!

Okay, that post title sounds rather inappropriately naughty, but I likes me some alliteration, so it's staying. Hi everyone. That's right, just when you thought the guest-post-a-pallooza was over, there's yet another guest blogger holding you hostage. Never fear, Kat will be back soon. And we're doing our best not to trash the place (completely). I'm Kaza, of Kaza's Place, a funny (as in odd, not humorous, unfortunately) little blog where I blither and blather about this and that. Mostly I whine and complain about my life, which is ridiculous because I have a beautiful life really. But we mamas work damn hard and spend so much of our days meeting the incessant needs of our small human "becomings" (and those not-so-small human beings, the sometimes equally demanding partners/husbands), so we need our safe havens in which to stash our "real" selves. Blogs fit the bill quite nicely. And the best part about it all is that we make some amazing friends in the blogosphere who are willing to bear witness to our insanity and who hold us up and cheer us on and above all laugh with us. Kat is one of my most treasured bloggy friends, and I am honored that she asked me to post here.

But I'm going to restrain myself and try not to whine and complain here. That would probably be bad manners in someone else's bloggy home. Instead, I want to tell you about a shocking confession my mother made to me yesterday. She hates Halloween. WHAT?!? Okay, I realize this does not seem shocking at all, and in fact many of you may share this dislike. But to me this was a stunning revelation. Because I. LOVE. HALLOWEEN. And the reason I love it so much is that my mother always made it so much fun for us.

Every year she would make the most delicious pot of chili, and there were doughnuts for dessert, with hot apple cider. When we were little, she stayed home to watch the pot while my dad took us out trick-or-treating. When we reached age 11 or so she deemed us too old to be out there anymore and instead let us invite our friends over to hang out and eat the goodies (including the trick-or-treat candy) and sip cider and watch scary stuff on t.v. It wasn't an elaborate party, just a warm house and good food and our favorite friends.

So now you see why I was astonished to hear that she hated Halloween all of those years. When I expressed my surprise, she said "I didn't let how I felt about it interfere with your fun." But it was more than non-interference. She created a simple magic. (Not to mention a safe haven to help us resist the temptation of getting into trouble playing Halloween tricks on neighbors). Because that's what mamas do. We make magic for our kids.

I'm the mama now, and so I try to make the magic for my little girl. Only I don't have to pretend, because I adore this funny little holiday and I love sharing these traditions with her. My kidlet is only 3 1/2, so at this point she's pretty much just into the doughnuts-and-candy part of the tradition. She's not such a chili fan yet. That's for the hubs and I to enjoy after she's passed out in bed with her sugar coma. We stuff ourselves in cheese-laden chili chased down by adult libations (beer for him, wine for me, 'natch), followed by doughnuts dipped in cider and topped off with the sweet deliciousness of candy stolen from our daughter's freshly-collected trick-or-treat stash. Fortunately Halloween is on a Friday this year so we can all sleep off our overindulgences the next morning.

Now if you want to talk holidays I do hate, get back to me next spring. Because as much as I loves me some pumpkins and ghosties, I hates me some Easter bunnies and chickies. All of that pastel. Blech.