Whirlwind Holidays

Bael just had her 5th birthday party last Sunday. Somehow I think I managed to pull off about 12 kids bowling happily together, for the most part. I've put up new birthday pictures on here (see left column of pix).

This past month has been a blur, even as we go into the long holiday weekend after Thanksgiving and I was thinking it's no where near over with. It's been Bael's birthday, Thanksgiving, and coming up PRI (Tommy's annual racing conference), Christmas and Colorado, then finally New Years. I don't mean to make the holidays sound like it's a burden or a chore but as I get older I'm beginning to feel that way, and it bums me out. What happened to the excitement? Tommy and I woke up yesterday morning, and I said "It doesn't feel like Thanksgiving to me, does it to you?" No, he answered. It just crept up on us. It just seems to go by faster and faster every year.

This is always a frustrating time of year for me. Tommy's a Bah-humbug and we argue every year on how many decorations he'll have to put up outside and how long he'll have to listen to Christmas music for (I'm one of the few that counts down the days to 97.1FM's month long homage to Christmas music). I'm the total opposite. I love the decorations and the music and just hanging out with friends. I think he'd rather curl up and just sleep through the whole thing (once again where his nickname comes from - think hibernation). But the other reason is because it's what I grew up with. The holidays were and have always been a big thing in our family. And, I want that very much for our kids. The big breakfasts in the morning, running down the stairs to jump in the pile of presents to open, the fire crackling, the hugs hello, catching up with everyone, playing games, the laughter, the lights, the decorations, Santa, everything. Love it. Bael is at that perfect age with Santa where she finally understands the concept and it's just so much fun to see. She asks me constantly if Santa is watching. Now, I just need to figure out how to maintain that in a way that I'm not totally overwhelmed and from a different vantage point.

So, here's best wishes to your families as well as you plow through the holidays and think where did all the fun go. I'm right here with you, wading my way through a new process, new traditions, new memories.

Desperate Measures

When Gavin's had enough of his jumperoo or just wants some attention, he pulls out of his arsenal a cry that is so high pitched and desperate sounding it vibrates through your ears and brain. We refer to it as "the girlie cry". Pick him up and he's totally fine. Magically.

Although this little clip doesn't capture the magnitude of Gavin's desperate little cry, but it was too funny not to post. And will remain in Mommy's black mail vault to produce for said girlfriend or friends in teenage years. Guess who Gavin may have voted for to Tommy's chagrin.

The Princess and the Monster

Last minute we decided that it might be easier to go down to the Church of the Chesapeake to do the "Trick-a-Trunk" event than to go door to door. The very idea of buckling and unbuckling two kids and chauffeuring them around to a bunch of strangers in our neighborhood, let alone the absolute-must stops to family was tiresome just to think about. It turned out to be a lot of fun, especially for Baeleigh, who I barely saw the whole time we were there. She was on hayrides and sliding down the inflated slide, making crafts, having a ball basically. Meanwhile, I tortured my son in his monster costume, a big hit in itself.

You will notice the snake painted on my son's head. Not my idea. That was G. She thought that Tommy would be ticked about it, when in all actuality she had the wrong ticked person. Luckily, my fear of it not washing off wasn't so. So, crisis averted. All in all a great Halloween for all. And, Trick-A-Trunk is the best idea they've thought of yet.