Well, I saw it.

I could take it when the back-to-school supplies hit the shelves long before it was the Fourth of July.  I know some states begin school in August. We in Michigan do not. The public and private schools mostly head back in September. And even though my kids attend a homeschool co-op, we too don’t make the little darlins’ hit the books till after Labor Day.

I’d been trying to squeeze the last bit of summer out of August, minding my own business, planning a few days trips and summer treats before we start our co-op in a mere 17 days- YIKES!!

Then Saturday, while stopping off at a store while our 16 year-old Mitch was at tryouts for the 2011 summer travel baseball season in Grand Rapids, “it” stared me right smack-dab in the face.

Halloween candy!

P-uuuu-leeeease!!! Can we not rush from one season to the next already? I swear (not the cussin’ type but the I-am-so-sure-I-am-remembering-this-correctly-type) that when I was a kid, the retailers did not push and rush the seasons and holidays so much.

I wish it were still that way.

Yes ma’am, put out the Halloween candy the day after Labor Day and not one minute sooner. Easter egg dying supplies? I do not need to purchase them on January 1st, thank you very much. So, I say let them line the shelves the day after Valentines Day, okay?

Geeesh!

I know, I know….we need to be ahead of the ballgame on Christmas. It would be a little late to just put the decorations out the day after Thanksgiving. So I’ll grant ya that one.

Still, please don’t back that bus clear up into September. It makes my blood boil. (And I’m sure it is the reason I never had an illustrious career in retail merchandise marketing!)

I’m not sure if it bothers me because seeing the products of the various holidays so early on makes me feel behind when in reality I am not. Perhaps it is because I feel that our society in general is way too rushed.

We whip through the holidays with little regard for what they really mean. I say it is time to slow down and savor.

So, this week, you will not find me out stashing away mini-candy bars for the munchkins that will descend on my neighborhood in 69 days. I’ll buy them a week or so before the big day and then put them in my big hand-carved wooden bowl and wait for the doorbell to ring.

Okay…truth be told, what really will happen is this:

I’ll buy them a week before. Then, my husband will locate the stash and pull out all the milk chocolate ones to nibble, sneak, dip in peanut butter or take in his lunch to work.

The boys will smell the sweet scent of their daddy’s sneaking and promptly finish all the crisp-filled ones and the “Mr. Goods” (their absolute favorite!) Finally, I’ll slowly polish off most of the dark chocolate.

Then? Well, I’ll have to run out  on Halloween afternoon and buy more! And since the mini-bars are so expensive and we’ve already bought a batch, I’ll opt for the jumbo bags of hard candies at the dollar store.

Sorry kids

Well, for now, I will determine to take one season, one holiday, a holy day or daily day, one day at a time. Will you?

Which reminds me….Tune back in later this week or next for a back-to-school organizational giveaway.

If your kids are headed back to school, you’ll have a little more time to organize your stuff. That is, until you need to dash off to get your kid in the carpool line or run them to an activity. If you homeschool, well, then you’d better get organized or you’ll soon find yourself sitting in a corner, eyes glassed-over and drooling. Trust me, I know!

I actually live both lives since my kids are homeschooled but also take classes from others as well. Both lifestyles have their own brand of busyness, but well….that is another post.

So I’ll see you later this week. I’m off to sip some iced tea while I post some items on Craig’s List.

Notice I said “iced tea”, not hot cocoa.

Let’s not rush things….

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Congrats to the winner of the “Pie, Oh My!” giveaway from over the weekend. It is: Sarah; Timestamp August 20th at 4:00 p.m. Send your home address to me at karen@proverbs31.org so I can get your gift to you!