Stealing a moment

Is it bad to steal a moment during Elizabeth's naptime in order to blog, check e-mail, and even *gasp* play a Facebook game?  I admit, I feel a little guilt.  I look at the clean dishes in the dish rack and think, "You should put those away."  I look at the stacks of dirty ones in the sink from dinner the night before (eaten very late, by the way) and think, "You should wash those and put them away."  I look at the clutter of things on my dining room table, the pile of linens yet to find a home, the litter of debris from having a nearly-one-year old and think, "Why are you sitting here on the computer when you should be working!"

I know it's good for all mommies to take a break and relax, even to think. I don't deny the wisdom.  But sometimes I feel I should deny myself the luxury, when my husband works so many hours a week and has to get up at 4:30 in the morning in order to enjoy his.  If he works so hard, so constantly all day, then shouldn't I?  It's a thought on my mind.

Another thought on my mind, wholly unrelated, is Halloween.  I've said it before, and I'll likely say it every year, but I don't like Halloween.  I could get behind the costume parties and the trick-or-treat and the innocent fun our children can enjoy at this time, but the rest of it has got to go.  Or, I wish it would.  I don't like the horror.  I don't like the "fun" of scaring other people, of scaring ourselves, of the evil and gore that pervades our movies and television choices, even our commercials.  Case in point: I love the Food Network. They have a show called Food Network Challenge, where chefs come to compete for a prize, usually pastry chefs come and decorate massive cakes along a theme.  The episode they are currently playing and replaying and replaying is Horror Cakes.  Let me tell you, there is nothing admirable or appetizing about these cakes.  Horror is a pretty good term.  They were gross.

This is why this time of year I start really hankering for Christmas.  Have you ever experienced anything encouraging or uplifting at Halloween?  I know there's an exception to every rule, so I'm sure some nay-sayer can in fact say, "Why, yes, I have."  But as a rule, is Halloween uplifting?  Is it encouraging?  Does it really encourage you to look out for others?  But at Christmas time, we are encouraged to do that.  Even those who don't acknowledge that the purpose of Christmas is Christ and that the whole spirit of the season comes from our Lord, you will hear them say, "But it's Christmas," as the reason to help someone else or say something nice or do something good.  It's a feeling that we as believers need to extend year round.  And I admit, if everyone acknowledged the real "reason for the season" that whole time would be so much brighter.

Baby Girl is now awake and attempting to eat something off the floor.  My stolen moment is over.  I guess I can reconcile myself to spending this first morning nap like this because it's so short.  Would I have gotten many dishes done anyway?  Ah, but they would have been done.