My Inner Child

Having a baby at an advanced maternal age (as the doctors call it) does has its benefits.  I am more financially stable.  I am more mature...kinda.  However, I realized that with a baby on the way, I need to reconnect with my inner child. And I'm not talking about the tantrums I throw when my husband says “no” to me, which is frequent (the “no” part, not the tantrums). In about seven weeks, just prior to the holidays, we'll have our daughter to care for and like all of us new to this world, she'll be a blank slate, counting on her caregivers to shape her hopes, dreams, beliefs, morals, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... But I'm not talking about that boring stuff, I'm talking about the fun stuff like:

Clothing: Having spent time with my five nieces and nephews from my husband's side of the family, I know that kids, especially teenagers, are all about the labels. My niece would scoff at a pair of Walmart Hanes Her Way sweatpants for $12; they must be Victoria's Secret PINK Collection yoga pants for $39. But she's 17, so that's to be expected. But what about toddler clothes? While I do see some bargains at stores like Target, other stores will rob you blind. I mean, who pays $30 for a 0-3 months cardigan with an adorable little hat to match that will be too small with the blink of an eye. Well, I did...today actually, but that's besides that point. What happened to the time when moms made clothes with a sewing machine? For the record, I don't sew and still have post-traumatic stress from the hours spent in JoAnn Fabrics as a child.

The Holiday Gang

• Santa: Do kids still take yearly pics with Santa? Or is sitting on a strange white man's lap not as appropriate as it was 30 years ago?

Have kids stopped believing in Santa at a younger age? I was always a huge supporter of Santa especially when I caught on that I could get gifts “From Santa” as well as “Love, Mom & Dad.” It was also always a convenient excuse to bake chocolate chip chocolate and stay up late.

• The Easter Bunny: Is wasting a dozen or more eggs by coloring them with that horrible dye that stays on your fingers for days still the “in” thing to do leading up to Easter? And what about the morning Easter basket that mysteriously appears in the kitchen? I am fortunate that my husband's family has a yearly Easter basket, not egg, but basket hunt. While the kids love it, the entertainment usually comes from me fumbling around the yard trying to find mine year after year.

• The Tooth Fairy: Is she still around? And what's the going rate for a tooth these days? I don't think the quarter so generously provided by my parents is going to cut it anymore.

Cartoons: Do kids still watch Saturday morning cartoons? I loved waking up at the crack of dawn and watching my morning cartoons in my footie pajamas. Among my favorites were: Jem, Snorks, Muppet Babies, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Monchichis and my all time favorite, Smurfs (I still wonder what Greedy Smurf's smurfberry muffins tasted like). I haven't seen a cartoon in awhile but my guess is that if I could find one of these relics on TV, it's probably on the same channel as What's Happening, Love Boat, and Trapper John, M.D.

Food: While I normally don't eat fast food, I've made more trips to McDonald's during this pregnancy than I have in the past five years. I know I get excited about chicken nuggets and french fries, but what about the little ones? The world is a lot healthier since I was a child. Does a toddler still want a Happy Meal or does he/she prefer a side salad with lite balsamic dressing?

While I'm sure that a lot has changed since I was a kid, I'm equally certain that some things haven't.  Kids still get excited about the holidays.  Kids still want the latest craze in the store.  And kids still look to their parents for love, guidance and support....with some whimsy on the side.  So maybe I'm not as far away from my inner child as I think after all.