Singing the Christmas Blues

Don't get me wrong, I was totally into Christmas this year. Just before Thanksgiving, I made the decision to try to make the majority of my gifts this year. I came up with some great (no, awesome) ideas and after I enjoyed my favorite holiday and the deliciousness that is turkey and sweet potatoes, I geared up for the amount of work that I would have to do in the next 30 days. I was one of those people listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. I braved the single digit temperatures to wait outside for the Black Friday sales. This year I was putting in 110% effort because Charley is at the age where she sort of gets it.

1st week of December went according to schedule. I purchased all of my materials for homemade gifts and started finalizing the details in my head.

2nd week of December we put up and decorated our tree! Oh, and I found out that I needed to have my wisdom teeth removed (before the end of the year!) So, I called and set up an appt. Of course, at this late notice, all they had available was the 21st or the 31st. Well, New Years Eve we're having guests, so that's a no. It'll have to be the 21st. No problem, I'll get everything done for Christmas before then and I can sit back and relax for the last week. (And watch the last minute panic of those who procrastinate. HAHAHAHA)

3rd week of December little miss got a flu bug and she laid around/rested for 2-3 days. This was the down time I needed to finish all the projects I had lined up. I ended up only making half of the needed gifts, but it's better than last year. As the week came to an end, I wrapped said gifts and readied myself for tooth extraction.

4th week is Christmas week! Still in the Christmas spirit, I check off the last of my to-do list and get ready to spend 3 days resting/recovering.

See, here is where my holiday spirit took a nose-dive. I came out of the surgical procedure and heard my husband say the phrase that I have heard all my life "Your teeth were a little difficult." Instead of healing in 36 hours like the lucky bastard that is my husband, I am now 2 1/2 days past extraction and still cannot feel my bottom lip, have excruciating pain in my jaw, and look like a Mack truck drove into my face.

I don't feel very Christmas-y right now. I'm debating whether I even want to spend Christmas with the 4 different sides of family.

I suppose if I could get some sleep, my Christmas spirit would eek a little higher on the radar, but as of right now, I want to punch anyone who says "Merry Christmas!"

The Promise of Girlie Things

For the 9 months of my pregnancy, I went without knowing the gender of this precious being that was growing inside of me. I wanted a girl, but thought it was boy the entire time. After months of anticipation, the day came to meet this little person who was going to bring us such joy. The doctor delivered that squirmy, alien-looking thing and passed it to the nurses. He never told me the gender so I had to ask "Is it a girl or boy?" He smiled at me and pronounced "It's a girl." I did a silent whoop for joy. I was already imagining all of the girlie things that were coming in the near future: ballet classes, curled hair, Barbies, and tea sets.

Fast forward 23 months...

This past weekend, my parents and I took Charley to the Walworth County Fair. I thought she would have a blast because she's almost 2 and I would let her go on a few rides. Well, I'm not really a rides person and never have been, so I forgot about the height restrictions. This limited our choices to 2. A car ride and a pony ride. When I saw the pony ride, I became giddy with excitement; it's every girls fantasy to have a pony or at least ride on one. So Grandma paid for Miss Charley to ride her first pony. I took her into the pen, placed her on the saddle, and showed her how to hang on. I was going to walk right next to her and I bet I had the stupidest grin on my face. As the horses started walking, there was a little fear in her eyes and she whined at me. "Caaa mama, Caaa" 'Car? Why is she saying car?' I talked to her and calmed her down. We kept riding around in circles and she relaxed enough to enjoy the rythm of the horses gait. But again, "Caaa mama, Caaaa" she whined. This time I couldn' t control the meltdown that was unfolding. "Caaa" she yelled. Thank heavens the ride was ending and I unhooked her from the saddle. I told myself "She's just too young, too afraid of big animals, not ready for this yet." But as we left the pen, "Caaa" was yelled again. Ok, Ok, even though I thought, maybe she's not ready for rides, I'll let her go on the car ride. Grandma put her in the car and stepped back. Zoom! The cars started to move and would you believe it. My girl was having the time of her life. She was waving and steering and laughing. She liked the car more than the pony!

I'll try to get her on a pony when she's a little older, but I'm bracing myself for the day I realize that my girl is a tomboy.

The Opposite of Stress...

Ahhhh, vacation is over. And I am so glad that this year was not a replica of the stressful trip of last year.

You see, this year I actually packed just the right amount, if not under-packed (I forgot a sweatshirt, but who would have thought I would need one in August? Oh wait... it's WISCONSIN!!!) And because I actually went into the vacation having extra room in the suitcase, I didn't have the stress of feeling like I was trying to squeeze an elephant into spandex when it came time to pack for the return trip.

The cabin we rent comes with a boat and this year, the owner upgraded to a pontoon boat. Stress-free fishing (once we got the battery issue fixed!) and no fighting over who gets to go out on the lake at what time. We all went together!

And last, but not least, no stress on the last day! This is the most important part of this vacation tale because if you ask anyone in my family, they will tell you how tense it was last year.

Let me paint you a picture of the year prior. On this last day, we need to pack up everything we brought (without forgetting that illusive sock!), load the vehicles (it's like a ginomous jigsaw puzzle!), and clean the cabin (vaccuum, dishes, etc). To get an early start in the hopes of leaving before noon, we all set the alarm clock for 8 am. Everyone except for my brother. My brother has the mentality that he can be ready in half-hour so he'll sleep until 11, throw some clothes on and be in the car waiting for us. Is this fair to those of us washing the plate from his midnight snack or vaccuuming up the sand he brought in? NO!!! He is 22 and in my opinion, perfectly capable of helping. So... I woke him up and told him so! Not a good idea for someone that is not a morning person. Man, was he grumpy! He picked fights with me, he picked fights with my mom, he was even surly with his almost 1 year-old niece! Charley couldn't talk, she didn't deserve that attitude. The air was thick with tension and nobody spoke for the last 20 minutes of the vacation.

That was last year...
Like a skier does a flip, this year was a complete 180. Total opposite!

We all packed most of our stuff the night before, we all were awake at reasonable times, and my brother even did the dishes because he knew he had the least amount to pack. I'd say there must have been some maturing done over the last year.

I was even able to handle a week of living with my mom.

Like I said... Stress-free! Which is how a vacation should be!

Final Countdown

Rustic cabin sitting
at the end of a long drive.
It's been a year,
too long!

I need this relaxation.
I need this week of family.

Baby is swimming,
Grill is sizzling.
Can't forget the mini golf.

Big fish waiting
for that worm on a hook.
Easy food,
be careful!

I need this serenity.
I need this environment.

Brother's snapping pictures,
Dog's are napping.
Trivia games all night.

Porch swing swaying
in the warm summer breeze.
Falling asleep,
nice nap.

I need the laughter.
I need the fun.

I love my knitting,
Jeff is reading.
Amazing week-long vacation.

Only one more day!

Baby Blue Eyes

I get how genetics work. Really, it's not hard to figure out that when you put together two sets of blue-eyed people and they have a child, chances are high that the child will have blue eyes as well. But when one parent has a lazy eye and the other has squinty eyes, what are the odds that you get a wide-eyed child?

At this point, I don't care how genetics work because my ladybug has...




the most amazing eyes!




Modeling hairbands for a little fashion show at home...


First airplane to Florida to visit Great-grandpa...

Enjoying the outdoors...

Stuck inside on a cold winter day here in Wisconsin!...

Going to the daycare for the day to visit Aunt Michelle and Nina...

Fourth of July family shot!

All of these photos depict an event that happened over the last year and a half, but all I see are baby blue eyes. I see this pair of eyes everyday: waking up in the morning, asking to watch The Princess and the Frog again please, snuggling with me on the couch, refusing dinner, and saying goodnight, but I am awestruck whenever I capture that sky blue color in a photo! Unbelievable!

Written as a part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Stress Treatment

We leave for vacation on Saturday morning! Time to start getting all of the cleaning and packing done. I need to start today so that I can PROCRASTINATE a little and still make sure I don't forget anything. I have my lists started, but I know I'll be adding more as the week progresses.

In anticipation for this week, I found a great stress reduction strategy and have it stuck to my refridgerator. It should help keep me sane! But it might cause a headache!

It's finally here!

It's finally August!!!

All summer long I have been anxiously waiting for August to get here. August is when I get to take my week-long vacation. I know, a lot of people would say "What do you need to take a vacation from?!" I stay home all day and I only have 1 child. Some people would call that a vacation. But in all honesty, I love going on our family vacation. It is 2 things that I absolutely love put together. What could be better? The family consists of my husband Jeff, little ladybug Charley, my parents, and my brother Andy and his girlfriend Lauren. And the vacation.... Well, that is the best part. It is a week of being away from the house! I get a week of fishing, sleeping in, 1/2 mom duty (Grandma loves taking care of Charley), 1/4 chef duty (we each prepare 2 meals), and almost no cleaning (just dishes). I'm out of my house, where I'm not staring at piles of laundry to be done or dishes to wash or beds to make. I'm almost obligation-free for an entire week.

Oh wait, I haven't mentioned the stress of the week-before-vacation. As every mom probably knows, that week before taking vacation is the worst week of the year! Ok, it's not as bad as Christmas preparations and the week of no-school that comes at the same time, but it's a close second in my book. I get through that week by making lists. Yes, I'm a list person. It helps me feel organized and prevents forgotten items. My husband doesn't like to make lists of what he might need so he tells me, "Don't let me forget to pack my ...!" As if I'm not already trying not to forget everything else. I make lists of to-do and to-pack. I have to make sure that enough laundry is done to pack for a week,then pack for Charley and I, have to get the dishes are done so they don't mold in the sink, make sure the fishing equipment is packed, get the dog's bed and bowls and food ready-to-go, remember to take the garbage out so the house doesn't stink, and somewhere in the back of my mind is that little voice that's telling me "I'm supposed to remind Jeff to pack something..."

What it is, I can't seem to remember at this moment! I should have put it on the list!

Oh, then there is the preparation for a 4 hour drive with an almost-2 year old! She doesn't like to sit in the car seat for even an hour so how am I going to keep her entertained? I make a list of toys and games and activities to lessen the amount of whining.

Well, up until this point, everything usually goes ok and I can finally relax and enjoy my vacation. Wait, I totally forgot, as I do every year, that after about 3 days I will be pulling my hair out because I can't deal with my mom for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and am really grateful for the support system that I have in my family. But when it comes to letting her take care of Charley, she gets the "Grandma Syndrome". You know the symptoms, giving her candy when Mom says "No", letting her scream as she runs around the house, allowing naps to be wherever and whenever, sneaking her juice, and don't forget the late bedtimes. Basically, destroying all the hardwork that I've done for the last month trying to get her disiplined and on a schedule.

Vacation? What vacation? I'm usually ready to go home!