Thanksgiving is finally over. This is the first year that I did not cook a single thing. In fact my kitchen had almost the entire day off. This never happens. Ever.
Because our families live so close to us there is no way around having to split up each holiday between the two. So we spend half the day with his family and half the day with mine. This is exhausting. I'm not one for the holidays anyway. All the decorations and the scented candle things, and the endless list of stuff you have to do. However we have children, one of which is just starting to get into the whole Santa thing. It's unavoidable. There is just no way around a bouncing three year old full of Christmas cheer......unfortunately.
So, this year we (by we I mean I) will be making cookies for "Santa", putting up an ugly plastic tree, and hanging those super fragile glass ball ornament things. You know the ones, they break at the slightest bounce. Now that would be enough by itself to give me a headache. Our oldest daughter has been making me sing Christmas songs at bedtime. This brought to my attention one thing.
Before I had kids I knew every line to every lullaby and Christmas song I had ever heard. The minute we had our first child my mind went blank. It became encores of "rock-a-bye baby da da duh duh..." Because I couldn't remember the rest of the stupid song! So now I'm online looking for Christmas music because my three year old is telling me "MOM!! That's not how it goes!!" and I'm like, "Well if you know it you sing it you little Christmas Troll."
Which brings me to the last and possibly the most terrifying realization. This year I am 99% sure that my hubby and I will be woken up to sounds of "MAMA, DADDY IT'S CHRISTMAS" at the highest decible possible for three year old vocal cords. At that time I will look over at the digital alarm clock and there glowing bright and evil it will read.......4:00 am. I will then stumble my way to the kitchen half asleep and proceed to make the strongest pot of coffee known to man, grab one of those huge black trash bags and surrender to the curse that is wrapping paper and the tape that manufacturers think is necessary on every single opening point of every single toy. Did I tell you just how much I hate tape? All toys will be opened at our house by 5:00 am and while they play quietly (hey, I'm hoping here) I will consume the pot of coffee and try to be reasonably awake for the rest of the morning. Of course that's the point where we take our day and with a giant holiday butcher's knife proceed to chop the damn thing in half.
Merry Christmas, Holiday, whatever the hell they're calling it now!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Abandoning Plans
I am a planner.
I like knowing what is going on, when things are happening, and how it is all going to go. I like the security of a solid plan.
That said, when you have kids, the only solid plan you will have is that something will go wrong with the plan.
Take gremlin number 2's birthday party today. The plan was that I would be there at noon to help set up and everyone else would be there at two thirty for the party.
What actually happened is that I didn't get there till one thirty. Only a third of the people I invited showed up. My own family was two hours late (through no fault of their own). Gremlin number 2 was sick, and didn't want anything to do with her cake.
All in all, my plan failed. Not that it wasn't a good plan, it was. It was airtight. I just didn't account for temper tantrums. Gremlin number 1 taking fifteen minutes to decide which dress she was going to wear. The time it would take to finish the cake, get everyone ready (in the process forgetting I needed to get ready too!). Not to mention heated discussions with my darling hubby about helping to get everyone ready.
In his defense he wasn't feeling good to begin with. He really is a great guy and an even better father.
So I am abandoning all plans. Done. Whacked. Gone.
I like knowing what is going on, when things are happening, and how it is all going to go. I like the security of a solid plan.
That said, when you have kids, the only solid plan you will have is that something will go wrong with the plan.
Take gremlin number 2's birthday party today. The plan was that I would be there at noon to help set up and everyone else would be there at two thirty for the party.
What actually happened is that I didn't get there till one thirty. Only a third of the people I invited showed up. My own family was two hours late (through no fault of their own). Gremlin number 2 was sick, and didn't want anything to do with her cake.
All in all, my plan failed. Not that it wasn't a good plan, it was. It was airtight. I just didn't account for temper tantrums. Gremlin number 1 taking fifteen minutes to decide which dress she was going to wear. The time it would take to finish the cake, get everyone ready (in the process forgetting I needed to get ready too!). Not to mention heated discussions with my darling hubby about helping to get everyone ready.
In his defense he wasn't feeling good to begin with. He really is a great guy and an even better father.
So I am abandoning all plans. Done. Whacked. Gone.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Changing Plans
Lance and I found out last month that we were going to have another baby. Three children! My mind is positively overwhelmed at that thought!
We told my mother, she laughed at us. We told Lance's mother, she laughed at us. We told my friend Heather, she laughed at us. I still don't know what's so darn funny about the whole situation. I never expected to be pregnant again. I didn't want to be pregnant again. I don't know how we are going to deal with three children, two of which will still be in diapers. The only thing I can hope for is that Sophie will potty train early.
Lance and I are looking into my enrolling in an EMT course and getting certified before the baby is born. Then during the time that I'm home with the baby I can apply for jobs in Berkeley and Charleston counties as well as with the private ambulance services.
If I got on with Berkeley county EMS then I would be working twenty four hour shifts like Lance does. If we could get on the same shift it would be great. We were thinking we could hire someone to come and sit the little kids while we worked. Eventually getting all our bills paid off and saving for a house. I want to be able to get one with an extra room so that the sitter will have a space of her own because we will need them for at least the next five years. Day and night.
Lance said that he would call around to see when and where the next course is being held and how much it is going to cost us. I figure I'll spend three years as an EMT and then go for my paramedic certification.
We told my mother, she laughed at us. We told Lance's mother, she laughed at us. We told my friend Heather, she laughed at us. I still don't know what's so darn funny about the whole situation. I never expected to be pregnant again. I didn't want to be pregnant again. I don't know how we are going to deal with three children, two of which will still be in diapers. The only thing I can hope for is that Sophie will potty train early.
Lance and I are looking into my enrolling in an EMT course and getting certified before the baby is born. Then during the time that I'm home with the baby I can apply for jobs in Berkeley and Charleston counties as well as with the private ambulance services.
If I got on with Berkeley county EMS then I would be working twenty four hour shifts like Lance does. If we could get on the same shift it would be great. We were thinking we could hire someone to come and sit the little kids while we worked. Eventually getting all our bills paid off and saving for a house. I want to be able to get one with an extra room so that the sitter will have a space of her own because we will need them for at least the next five years. Day and night.
Lance said that he would call around to see when and where the next course is being held and how much it is going to cost us. I figure I'll spend three years as an EMT and then go for my paramedic certification.
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