Friday, December 31, 2010

Another Blurry Week

Hope your Christmas holiday was everything you wanted to to be.  We had a good one.  We went to one family gathering on Christmas Eve and another on Christmas evening, but otherwise we stayed home and savored just being home.  My sister and Keary's sister came over while we ate taco soup, watched Christmas movies, and made candy, and we went to Mom's the day after Christmas and Dad came over that evening.

Gwendolyn and Maggie wound up with a ridiculous amount of toys again this year.  Currently, I am questioning why I thought an mp3 player for Gwendolyn was a good idea because I still am having to listen to her music.  It isn't that I don't enjoy Glee or the occasional Taylor Swift, I would just rather not listen to them constantly or listen to a four year old whine the songs out even further than they already are.  As for Maggie, she got probably a dozen new toys that light up and sing songs.  At least her's seem to have some educational qualities to them.

After all my worrying about whether Santa Claus was coming to our house or not, and mine and Keary's multiple trips to the stores the last days before Christmas to find the best big gift to leave under our tree from him, Gwendolyn still told the ladies at the library Wednesday that he didn't come to our house.  I don't know whether to be relieved that I don't have to remember to do everything just the same next year or disappointed that she didn't fall for it after all our work.

And there it is, talk of next year, which officially starts in a little over 7 hours.  We don't have plans for New Year's Eve and honestly, I will probably be asleep when the clock strikes 12.  2010 hasn't been the greatest and the last half has really kind of been an asshole so I have a lot of hope for a new year. But with that hope is coming quite a bit of uncertainty.  Things really have to be better than the last half of 2010 though.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve people.  And if you aren't doing Christmas Eve, I hope at least you have a joyful Friday.

Have any big plans?

We, we are staying home.  Or staying home as much as possible.  I told my family that we were staying home and anyone who wanted was welcome to drop in to our house, but that we weren't filling up our days with going here and hurrying there so that by the 26th we are all overstimulated.  I can't say my announcement was met with  much support or anything, or come to think of it, I don't know that anyone will be coming by.  I do know though that when we decided we weren't giving in to the hustle and bustle, I started sleeping more than 2 hours a night.  And Gwendolyn was tickled at the thought of staying home, making cookies, and watching Christmas movies.  I thought I would have to sell her the idea.  Keary has been working seven days a week since June, and the only days off he has had (which were very few) were filled with still having to rush here and there.  We just need some time where we aren't rushing anywhere.

I still need to cook.  I prepped some sausage balls last night so all we have to do is through them in the oven.  And I got stuff to make taco soup, pigs in a blanket, chip and dip.  I also got a ham, but I may just wait until Sunday or so to cook that.  And I got some things for Gwendolyn and I to make cookies and candy.  I don't really know what we are going to cook, but I got enough supplies to make a couple batches of sugar or chocolate chip cookies, some chocolate covered oreos and some fudge.  Gwendolyn doesn't really care what we make as long as she can decorate with sprinkles.

I think everything is wrapped.  I'm not totally sure because I have things in bags that I intend to put in stockings and I am trying to make sure the girls have equal number of things to open.  I still need to print off one of Keary's gifts- a planner/ notebook to keep all of our household stuff in place.  The printer is being finicky though so rather than being his Christmas gift, it'll probably be more like a Tuesday gift.  My biggest concern is the girls' stuff and that is pretty well done.

Hope you have a great holiday.  Be safe.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

She was at the original one, right?

My dad's church is having their annual Live Nativity tonight.  They have been having for ten years or so, it is complete with live animals and everything.  This year they asked Gwendolyn to be an angel.  She responded,in complete seriousness, "No, I would rather be She-Ra and have a sword."

It is going to be an interesting night.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Santa Claus is Coming to Town?

I really didn't mean to go for over a week without posting.  I'll have perfectly written posts in my head, and then when I sit down at my computer, I swear they leak out my ear and all over my chair.  Maybe that isn't exactly what happens to them, but I can't get anything out on the screen.  Oh well.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Happy Holidays

It never occurred to me until sometime last week or so how offensive some people found the phrase "Happy Holidays".  I have always signed our Christmas cards "Happy Holidays" and I genuinely mean just that- I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year.  And a happy any other holiday that I have forgotten.  And just a plain happy time if you choose not to celebrate any holidays at all. I am sure it has probably always been a point of contention for some people but it wasn't until I saw multiple posts and statements about how "it shouldn't be Happy Holidays but MERRY CHRISTMAS" until I thought about it.

You know what?  I filled out our Christmas cards yesterday.  And they are all signed "Warmest wishes and Happy Holidays". And I think that is completely fine.  Yes, my family celebrates Christmas and we celebrate the birth of Jesus with church, the nativity, family, food, friends, and gifts.  And if you don't celebrate the same as I do or even at all, I still want to wish you a happy day.  Isn't that what is meant by "goodwill toward men"?

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Life Happens and Plans Go Awry

Last week just didn't go like I had hoped it would.

Early in the year, Keary had marked off to take vacation the week after Thanksgiving, in hopes we might get to take a honeymoon since we didn't take one after we were married.  We researched and decided where we wanted to go and what we would do, but then we couldn't get anyone to agree to watch Gwen and Maggie for us.  We were disappointed, but it was okay- we would have a week to get all the projects around the house done that there is never time for since Keary generally works 7 days a week.

We made lists of what we wanted done needed to buy to get the projects done, and made plans and timelines.  Keary and I decided that we needed to paint the overhang over the back door, paint the front door and back door, buy and install the new microwave/ vent-a-hood.  I wanted to make a wreath to hang on the front door and make an advent calendar to do with the girls.  Plus we needed to get put up the Christmas decorations, wrap gifts, finish shopping.  We made plans to go to the zoo and zoolights.  I needed to schedule Gwendolyn and myself a haircut and hoped we might get to go see Tangled.  And and and then Grandy went into the hospital.

I have always been close to my Grandy.  I am the first grandchild, lived with her for several years when I was a teenager, and had her great-grandbabies.  I sat with her between 8 and 10 hours a day while she was in the ICU.  She was confused and agitated and kept trying to get up.  She fell once because she did manage to get up, and then promptly fell because she is unable to use her right side right now.  I was able to calm her a few minutes at a time and answer her repeated questions (because I am used to answering the same questions over and over again).  I could field questions from her visiting friends and medical personnel.  And I could do all this while not missing work, unlike the rest of the family.  Well, I wasn't missing work as in someone pays me to do a job, but I was missing work that I do everyday at home with my family.

When I would make it in at night, I would just crash, and Gwendolyn and Maggie would both rush me to cling to me and tell me about their day and snuggle.  I would turn in a couple hours later to fall into a restless sleep, then return to the hospital.

 I did what I needed and had to do and wouldn't change that, but things just didn't turn out how I had planned.  Oh, and I know that my plans for the week had been lofty and everything wouldn't have gotten done, but progress would have been made.

I am trying to return to my regular schedule.  Keary went back to work yesterday, so I have to find my routine again.  Grandy transferred out the ICU on Friday and then went to a rehabilitation hospital yesterday.  Hopefully, she will make a smooth transition and start working on making progress on rehabilitation.

And Keary has another vacation scheduled for between Christmas and New Year's.  I am doing my best to not make plans for then.