Christmas 2011

In a blink of an eye Christmas is over and we are a couple of days into the New Year!!   I will be honest, it wasn't my favourite Christmas.  It was a long December for us, and the holidays spent living in someone elses home with an 18 month old, pregnant, and exhausted... was hard.  I just can't wait until next year when we will finally be in our valley home and for the very first time be able to just be at our own house through the holidays.

I know I haven't blogged at all about the "BIG MOVE" yet.  It really has been out of fear of someone finding my blog that shouldn't. I've made it private with the intention to use it for a while for what it really was always meant to be.  My personal journal of our family life.

So yea, December was long.  Our poor little family doesn't know heads from tails right now.  Rory and I spent most of the month of December alone here in Toronto with Peter traveling back on weekends because he started his new job at the beginning of the month. So we were all exhausted and each out of sorts in our own way. Thankfully, once we all actually did arrive in Almonte, we didn't have a lot of traveling to do and played all "plans" by ear for most of the holidays.

Rory is just too much fun these days and is saying so many more words,  and/or at least tries to say/repeat almost everything we ask him to. It's hilarious. He can point out most of his body parts, has a few animal sounds in his repertoire and with the new kitchen from gram and grumps we're working on all the fruits and veggies.  I think at 18 months he was still to young to "get" Christmas this year but he loved the lights and the decorations. And candy. Oh, and he knows Santa says HO HO HO and who Frosty is! :) Our routine before xmas was to get home from daycare/work, and I would plug in the xmas tree and I would say "are you ready???" and then he would clap and say YAY!!!! as the lights came on.

Here are a few snapshots from this year's xmas.

Jenna and Rory Christmas Eve

Jenna & Peter Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Pajamas!

My what changes happen in a year! Rory is tackling Jenna this year!

Daddy's first Christmas Eve Toy Set Up! The new kitchen from Gramma and Grumpa

Finished Assembly Awaiting Christmas Morning Smiles!

Christmas Morning! Excited about my new tool table from Santa!

Some new Christmas books... taking time out for a read.

And lots of visits with cousins!

SNOW! You love it!!! If only you would keep your mitts on!!

Back to Toronto!! Keeping you happy on the 401 jaunt with a chocolate milk.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It was a Silent Night

Peter and Rory are tucked safely into the Ottawa Valley to begin the Christmas Holidays, and I am going to join them later this week. They left yesterday afternoon and from the sounds of it, Rory is already having a great time with his cousins and his gram and grumps. I am here until Thursday doing a mad dash to the end at work, and finishing up/starting most of our Christmas prep and shopping.

Am I a bad mother if I tell you that this is the best Christmas present my own mother could have given me?

Because I am going to be frank here... after being alone in the city with Rory for two weeks (with the exception of weekends);  That’s 10 mornings and 10 nights of getting Rory and myself dressed and out the door to work/daycare, and home again in one piece, only to start the race to get dinner on the table before the ‘melt down witching hour’ hits.  That is 10 days of bath-time and bed-time on my own, one morning of projectile vomit from a daycare mishap, and 48 hours of vomit and a whole lot of other not-pretty stuff from a flu.  Let’s throw in prepping to host two different parties on one of the weekends in between, and baking for a Christmas cookie exchange in there too. Oh and two obstetrician visits (one planned, one not) just because they are so awesome. So all to say, I need this.

And I won’t even tell you what work has been like. Because frankly, at this point, who cares. You get the point.

Honestly, If only you could drink while pregnant.  Judge if you will. I am a good mom, I can take it. And, I am not talking about the one glass of wine they say doesn’t matter either. Because who cares about the first glass. It’s the second and the third that really relieves the stress.  If I wasn’t pregnant, two weeks of hard work wouldn’t even PHASE me.  But lugging around a huge belly, emotional as all hell from hormones, insanely over scheduled  at work, and with a kid very much missing the “fun” parent...  A bottle of my favourite red wine really may have helped. Oh well.

Anyway, by Friday of last week I was done. So done that I can’t even begin to explain the depths of my done. I was ready to cancel Christmas, cancel work, cancel moving, cancel everything.  I was officially Scrooge and I really didn’t think anything was going to change my mood.

Then my husband arrived on Friday night, and slowly brought me back from my ledge and helped our somewhat under the weather little family have a quiet and cozy weekend together.  Rory napped his weekend away as he slept off his flu bug, and know what Peter and I did? We napped right along with him.  I NEVER have done the whole sleep when the baby sleeps stuff. My brain just doesn’t turn off that easily... Too much to do, always.

So after a super restful weekend... If you can picture a sanity meter, mine was registering again by Sunday morning.  What an incredible man I have. Patient, kind, funny, handsome, patient, patient, and super patient.

So how am I going to spend 4 nights on my own?  Let me count the ways. :)  I am still figuring that out, but I WILL make the most of them. I feel like I deserve this time.  And after not even 24 hours and the first solid sleep I have had in 6 1/2 months,  I already feel like I am going to arrive home to my family smiling and merry and completely excited to smother their faces in Christmas love.  In truth, I miss them already.

A girl at work today even compliment how I looked. No one has done that in months. Several months.  That has got to say something?

Until then,  I am ok admitting that every mom, whether she admits it or not, needs/can benefit from time to herself.  Time to recharge, time to take a shower that’s longer than 5 minutes and  time to drink a full cup of uninterrupted coffee.  It doesn’t mean that I love my family any less than you love yours,  in fact, it makes me feel like I love them even more.

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, I know we will !!

Rory taking it all in at my sister's place last night.

Dancing with his cousin Jenna via her Karaoke machine (Jenna apparently danced out of frame)

New Picture Round Up!

So, since I don't post pictures on facebook anymore, I thought I would do a wee picture round up for lack of anything else to write about.

My mom is here this weekend...which means Peter and I have a long overdue and awaited evening on the town Saturday.  And afternoon massages. CAN. NOT. WAIT.!!  Which means I will probably be home in bed by 10pm. Oh,  and we're off to a bunch of Christmas parties including one for the kids at my office. The very dangerous big orange slide should prove to be a very interesting obstacle to keep my child off of I am sure.

Watching YouTube videos before daycare

Sleeping in the car before daycare, 

proving he in fact does not want to go, or care about mommy's early meeting.

 Modeling new winter boots with daddy.  

Once these are on his feet (which he can put on by himself), 

it's a FIGHT to get them off.

 You know, just laying around throwing a temper tantrum. 

Yes indeed, the "two's" are JUST around the corner.

Playing around while daddy test drives his new car.

This ball cost us 4.00 and he carries it EVERYWHERE!

He can pick out most of the animals and their sounds too.

Christmas Tree is up!! 

Rory is learning to be "gentle" with the branches, ornaments, and presents underneath.
Definitely a work in progress, sorry if your gift looks mangled this year.

 

And also learning all about Santa and when he is coming to town. 

In this particular case, he's introducing Santa to Thomas.

There is a lot going on in this picture. 

Including evidence of a much needed hair cut.

Learning about the advent calendar. 

And wondering where the heck the chocolate is.

 

Four stockings hung with care this year!