A creature is growing in our home that is more horrifying than the supernatural or undead.
Saturday morning, I was enjoying coffee in the dining room when I heard the hubby say with alarm, “Oh my God, T, you’re turning.”
It was a full moon on Halloween weekend. Did we have a werewolf in our midst?
“What’s happening?” I asked curiously.
T screamed from his room, “My armpits stink! I’m turning into a teenager!”
I groaned. “Oh God, I need more coffee.”
T stomped downstairs with extra bounce in his steps. He walked towards me with arms raised.
“I don’t smell anything,” I said.
T then yelled, “PUT YOUR FACE CLOSER TO IT!!!”
I’ll do homework with him when he’s having a meltdown. I’ll clean shit from his underwear. But I ain’t willingly sticking my nose into his armpit.
This moment reminded me that life is flying by.
In a few months, T will be nine then it’ll be double digits and soon after, he’ll be a teen.
As a friend said on Facebook when I posted this amusing moment, it gets worse than armpits. “Just wait until the feet come in.”
Oh yes, I remember my teen years, wondering how shoes could smell like death.
Then I thought about the simple days when T was a toddler. I loved how he smelled after a bath and lathered in baby lotion.
I dread the teen years and how much harder they’ll be with FASD layered on top, if other parents’ horror stories are any indication.
But all we can do is to carve our own path. Do our best to prepare, seek support, and live day by day.
It reminds me to enjoy these childhood moments when T is begging us to play with him at the end of a long work day when all we want to do is rest.
To enjoy innocent traditions, such as writing letters to Santa or taking a coin from his piggy bank for the tooth fairy so T could deposit it back into the same pig.
We only get one childhood, so let’s enjoy it, because when we’re older, we’ll remember the good times and the hard ones won’t matter as much.
Halloween is T’s favourite time of the year after Christmas.
This weekend, T and the hubby carved four pumpkins; T did the designs and the hubby carved.
They also worked together to set up our front yard display – pictured at top.
While I made dinner tonight, the hubby assembled the treat bags we are giving out on Halloween, with a stash going to T’s school for his classmates.
After T finished supper, he asked to have a shower.
We praised him for having a super week this past school week and for being so awesome all weekend.
He really did – our hearts are full.
Then we let him go shower. Gotta wash those armpits after all!
Not to bust your bubble but cuteness ends at the dawn teenage time😈I know this from experience teaching teenagers kkkkk. But some moments with them are really very warm because they are maturing into adults. You can do this👏
Thanks for the reassurance, Faith! 😆 Should be an interesting few years ahead. I think focusing on the maturity to adults will be the saving grace!
Time never stops flying by. Got to keep making these memories while we can.
Thanks Gary. So very true! 🙏
It’s crazy how quickly time flies and it’s a good reminder to try to cherish every moment. It’s hard to believe that T will be a teenager soon, which I’m sure will come with a different set of challenges and opportunities! Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year too. I love the teamwork to design and carve the pumpkins! They turned out well. Hope you had a happy Halloween!
Thanks Linda. I hope you had a nice Halloween too. Did you get a lot of kids? You will have a difference Halloween experience next year! 😊🎃
We surprisingly didn’t get as many kids as last year and we ended up with way too much Halloween candy afterwards. And yes, next year should be different. I can start to claim the parent tax on all the Halloween goodies 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend! I’m debating whether to start putting up my Christmas decorations while I still have the energy.
Oh yes, get the Christmas tree up now that Mariah Carey has been defrosted. We’re putting ours up after Remembrance Day. 🙂
I find November is such a long and dreary month to begin with, so it’ll be nice to put up the holiday decorations to add some sparkle and cheer to our place. I’ve put away our Halloween decor and took out the Christmas bins. So I’ll be aiming to set everything up this weekend too, including our outdoor Christmas lights. You better believe I’ll be putting on the Mariah Carey Christmas album!
Gotta love Mariah Carey this time of the year!
Great Pumpkins and post!!!!
Thanks Vickie. I hope you had a nice Halloween at home too.
Oh boy, smelly armpits. You’re right – it’s happening too fast! Love how you cherish the time with T!
And that pumpkin design and carving is so good! So fun – hope you all have a great day tomorrow. Happy Halloween!
Thanks Wynne! Hope Miss O and Mr D have a fantastic day today too. Look forward to seeing photos of their costumes!
This is hilarious, Ab! I remember the first time my feet stank when I was a teenager. Then I started using baby powder to cover up the stench. And of course, I also remember when my armpits started to smell “off”. I wonder what T’s reaction will be when hairs start growing at places they never did. Happy Halloween!
Thanks Bama. Oh yes, I remember the baby powder trick. 😊 It’ll be curious to see T go through the different phases of puberty. It will be an adventure for sure.
Is Halloween celebrated in Indonesia? It’ll be a busy night over here for us. I just want to go to bed early. An early day for me! 😆
Well, yes and no. In big cities, you can find Halloween decorations at malls. My office even had a Halloween party last Friday. But if you go to smaller cities or to the countryside, I believe it will be harder to spot anything related to Halloween.
Did you wear a costume? I wore a black ranger T-shirt to a staff social this weekend. 😆 I can imagine Halloween being spooky fun in the countryside. It’s like that in the Philippines too. The urban legends in the countryside.
I did, well, kind of. In 2019 I bought this spooky mask from an online shop. So this time I wore that again, with sunglasses. So, I looked like some kind of alien who came to earth to party. 😆 I guess next time I should wear something more fun, like a Power Ranger costume! I would probably choose blue ranger though.
I see you as a Blue for sure!
Great job with the pumpkins and the yard! I hope Halloween is a blast for T!
Thank you for the reminder to enjoy the present moment – once it is passed we can never get it back.
Because people have had horror teenage years, it doesn’t mean you guys will have the same. As you wrote, all you can do is carve your own path. And as far as I can tell, you are doing a brilliant job at that!
Blessings!
Thank you, Ana. T loves Halloween and he put the carved pumpkins out into the yard tonight and looking forward to lighting them up tomorrow.
I hope you’re right about the teens. I am expecting and preparing for the worst. 😊😆 But also hoping for the best. 🙏
Oh…the stinky feet ARE coming! LOL! Love the carvings…and the sweet memories of all those stages and phases…some more stinky and memorable than others. Hugs to all of you! 🥰
Thank you, Vicki! So long as the stinky and the memorable ones balance each other out, I’m all game!
But of course! You do such a terrific job of cherishing all the moments. 🥰❤️🥰
This is too funny, and I especially love T’s enthusiasm and your audible groan! I vividly remember in 5th grade when Mrs. Lynch talked to the class about body odor and deodorant… and there was agood reason! 😂😂
That’s too funny, Erin. I have a friend who is a high school teacher and she says some days are unbearable. Good for Mrs Lynch to get the lessons started! T asked about deodorant and is looking forward to using it one day. It’s not so bad at this moment.
Happy pre-teen time! I have 2 younger brothers so you definitely have my sympathy. They were smelly for a few years! 😂
Thanks for the warning Belle! 🤣😂
No worries, they turned out just fine, and they smell good now LOL
Good decision-making! I think I would have had the same idea. “Yup T, I’ll take your word on it.” Ha, ha. Love your thoughts as well: “But all we can do is to carve our own path. Do our best to prepare, seek support, and live day by day.” I need to remember that this week!!!!!
Yes, some things you don’t need concrete evidence for. Just believe. 😆 Good luck with your upcoming week, Brian. This weekend just flew by.
Oh Ab, I love everything about this post, even the link to the poopy pants! What an adventure your family is in for and it will happen so fast you won’t know what hit you…just like the smell of those stinky pits 🙂 Treasure every moment and memory.
Thanks Deb. I hear you on the speed of the adventures ahead. I know it’ll fly by so going to hang on and treasure each moment and memory as you said, for better or for worse!