Glad Tidings to all you parents who are elated that school is back in session. Er, I mean, that celebrated the Birth of our Savior. uh, Yeah, that too. ;)
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| Our live tree, which smelled soooo good, all ready to go for Christmas morn gift-a-palooza. |
We had a fairly stellar holiday season, with the man in red (or black, I can't remember what he was wearing) dropping ridiculous gifts upon our doorstep. Let's just say, there were some very happy kids around here.
And now I'm happy to have them back in school where they are not tattling on each other all day. I know there are moms who love the time with their kids and are sad to see them go, but there are just as many who breathe a deep sigh of relief on that first day back to school. (Just in time to turn around and see all the laundry.)
I love my kids, but I'm still in that stage of life where it's all a LOT of work, and there's hardly an ounce of rest for me. I was so pooped from shenanigan patrol on Christmas day (and let's not forget the night before's gift wrap and set up maneuvers til 1:30 a.m.), that when Kong awoke from his nap (he was between work shifts and still very sleep deprived), I cried when I told him how exhausted I was. And then I apologized for not making supper. It just wasn't going to happen.
All that stimulation was just about overload for a certain little 3 year old boy, who runs from one thing he shouldn't be doing/touching/dumping all over kingdom come to another. You would think that getting to be outside for about two and a half hours riding around in your new Jeep car would be just what the doctor ordered. Apparently, he should have been running during that time, as he was not tuckered out or sufficiently entertained in. the. least. (Any tips on how to break his wild and willfulness would be much appreciated.) I spent a lot of time with that kid over the break (and still), mostly in an effort to keep him out of trouble (which is like telling him not to breathe), as well as with the others, doing projects and crafts and Erector sets, etc. Cheeks and I still have yet to bust out the EasyBake Oven, but that might be accomplished tomorrow. It's fun but exhausting, all this playing with your kids, and not a darn thing got accomplished besides that and meals, and just barely at that.
I was so pleased that we got to have my hubba hubba with us for the whole 2 days of Christmas, as the holiday landed on the weekend when he isn't scheduled to work. He had to work til Friday night and then back on Monday morning for an extra round, but at least he was home for the main stuff. I also got to have him help me with gift shopping this year which was a total bonus for me. Yes, this meant I got a Date Night!!! Holla! I hate making all those decisions by myself, and trying to cram it all into stolen moments. It was nice to share in the fun of figuring it all out. However, we probably spent more money than will ever be spent in Christmases to come. But hey, we NEVER do that, and don't really even buy toys any other time besides birthdays (which I'm realizing I may need to remedy some) so I don't feel guilty in the least that we splurged.
We also got to spend time with our extended families on Christmas eve, and enjoyed all the food and camaraderie that goes with that. I did miss going to the Christmas Eve service this year, my favorite part, but it just didn't work out with our schedule.
And going a bit backwards, I have been really trying lately to clean up certain areas, reorganize, rearrange, and clear out crap and clutter. Since Kong worked all week up til Christmas, I tried really hard to do some things that would make him feel good to be home. I busted my buns cleaning the house. I got our tree decorated and lights strung up on windows around the house, and a wreath hung up on the front door. He came home on Friday night to a Christmas-y home, clean enough that you could tell the difference, and since I took the kids for more shopping, it was quiet. The biggest impact, however, was felt in the bedroom. Hm. Did I say that right? giggle. uh... anyway. :D I finally put away stacks of summer clothes and extra bedding that were out of storage and dumped on the floor (one because I hadn't gotten to it yet, and two because we had water damage issues in our closet where they are stored). I cleaned out some of his dresser, and also my dresser, which meant I had 2 large bags to take to the thrift store (and that was after the load I had taken there only days earlier). In the end, you could actually see the top of my dresser. Wow, so that's what it looks like! Also, I bought myself a jewelry stand and wanted to be able to put it on my dresser. But whatever it takes, right? I washed the sheets and made the bed, cleaned off my nightstand and dusted. Swept the floor (it's wood) and shook the rugs. When he walked in I had side lamps on to make it feel warm and cozy. The next morning he told me that he was so surprised our bedroom had "atmosphere." lol It's the little things, right?
And now we're settling back in to school routines and homework. I'm catching up on laundry, well, if the dryer doesn't fully go kaput, that is, and regaining balance. It feels good. And there are good things just around the corner.
I will leave you with a video of our gift opening mahem, showing the joy and excitement of little kids on Christmas morning. It's about 2 mins long.
Did you know...
Wise Men Still Seek Him.
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