Somewhat Merry Christmas

I felt a bit sad this Christmas. It was our first Christmas that we stayed home in Arizona and didn't fly home to Minnesota. Yes, I said home twice for two different things, but Minnesota will always be home to me. Arizona is where we live and each year is beginning to feel more like home. See what I mean? Buddy didn't have any vacation left from work, so the hard decision was made to stay put. It is very hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit when then air isn't freezing cold, white doesn't blanket the ground and we don't have to bundle up before setting foot outside. The house is decorated because I really enjoy that part of the process. At night it does feel more festive because of the tree and banister and other spots are lit up. Still, it's hard being away from home.

Christmas Eve day, we spent outside in the front yard cleaning up the yard, trimming the trees. After getting all dressed and ready for church, we headed out. Now, Christmas Eve is always the one day of the year I do feel like I should be in church. I love to sing along, listen to the prayers, watch all the little ones in their dressed up cuteness and reflect on the year past. So, I was looking forward to going to a church where I hadn't been to Christmas mass before. Well, the place was beyond packed, bursting out the doors; people standing in every nook and cranny. We tried to settle into the crying room, but once in had to stand in the back against the wall and couldn't even see the alter. There was no way we'd be able to even somewhat enjoy the service standing with both kids, so we left. Oh, we weren't the only ones heading to our car, there were quite a few who had the idea too.

Once home, we let the kids open one gift they had gotten from some friends and luckily they were toys that kept them busy until dinner. Dinner came and went and onto gifts from ourselves to ourselves. Hayden was in heaven with his loot, Maya still has that unsure thing going on about opening gifts. She likes to rip the paper, but doesn't quite get that there is something underneath it. All in all, we had fun, enjoyed our little family and called it a night by placing cookies out for Santa, sprinkling the reindeer food on the front yard and heading to bed.

Christmas morning was a thrill with both kids getting a new four-wheeler/quad. Hayden's is still a smidge big, but he's a growing boy! Maya LOVES hers and knows to push the button to get it going. We opened gifts from Buddy's side of the family and had a low key day of relaxing, playing with the new toys and eating.

It was a good Christmas looking over the last two days. I did find myself reminiscing in my head of Christmases past. Ones from years and years ago as well as the more recent ones of our little family. I found myself getting teary thinking of Christmases with my Grandparents. I remembered where the trees were, piles of gifts, the food, cookies and all the family. I missed seeing my nephews and nieces open our gifts to them and the caos that comes it.

It wasn't the first year I spent the holidays away from home, it was the second. But it was the first one my parents didn't have the grandkids around. Luckily, thanks to the Minnesota Gophers, they are coming down tomorrow for a week and that alone has made being without close family here at Christmas easier. We will be able to celebrate with them and my brother and sis-in-law even though it's a few days late.

I hope everyone did have a wonderful holiday whether you were snowed in, without family or with all of your loved ones. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Is it tomorrow yet?

The morning started out crappy, got horrid, got better, got horrid again, went back to crap and then things calmed.
The day for me started good. Up to a hot pot of coffee, let the dog out of her kennel and enjoyed the coffee, news and computer time. And then I went to wake up Hayden for school.
His preschool time has switched from 8:30 to 8 now. Long story and hoping I don't ever have to tell it because my fingers are crossed that it will go back to 8:30. Anyway, went to wake him up. Got his clothes out and told him to get dressed. It's 7:28 (or so). By 7:45, he is NOT completely dressed, he's complaining about his shirt and is just being a putz. I have myself and Maya dressed and almost ready by this time. We head downstairs with Hayden complaining still, but wanting to finish getting dressed downstairs.
I look in the living room to see a massive wet spot on the carpet where the da*# dog has decided to piss. She had been trained, but that's another story I don't have time for. The point is, I am so fricking sick of cleaning up dog pee.
Hayden is whining, I am livid and soaking two towels with dog wiz and it's 7:53 am. I still have to get shoes onto 6 feet and do H's hair. His undershirt is backwards which requires removing the shirt we have fought over, turning around the other, putting on the outer and buttoning it. Which, by the way, just about starts another whine session because HE wants to button. But, luckily I convinced him that that will take tooooo long.
Luckily, the preschool is literally 2 minutes away, so we are out the door at 7:59. But, have to put Maya in her carseat, which isn't always easy. Got to school and get a whine session about how we forgot to get his sweatshirt! What?! When did this come up? I tell his teacher I am praying and have my fingers crossed that the time will get switched back to 8:30. :)
I get home, have to get Maya breakfast and myself breakfast and shampoo the carpet because there is no way I am going to spot treat that lake!! I have to clean up toys, move furniture and vaccuum before I can consider shampooing. Can't just shampoo the one area, might as well do the whole dang room. This is all completed by 8:35 because I still need to get to the gym which I am not going to miss cuz I need to get some frustration OUT!
The rest of the morning and the afternoon goes without incident. Get Hayden from school and he has a WONDERFUL ornament he made to go on the tree. Pretty much made the morning's antics disappear. Both kids get fed, the dog is let outside to run off some steam and then naptime comes. Aaahhh. Hayden vegged on a Mickey Mouse Christmas movie and I relaxed a bit. We even went to the park to have some fun outdoor time.
Then comes dinnertime. Buddy's home, I start the chopping and Maya moves in on me screaming her head off because it's "feed me time". Buddy gets her involved in something. The dog is out enjoying the family. Somehow everyone is in the kitchen checking out what I am making. I am trying a new recipe using some leftover turkey from a couple nights ago. Then, for some reason, the dog gets scared over something and pees on the tile. Buddy catches her, doesn't yell at her, just gets her to stop and tells her to go outside. She comes over by me, Buddy approaches and she starts peeing AGAIN! Buddy gets a little madder and says no, she moves, pees again. Buddy picks her up, she continues peeing and he lifts her over the COUNTER, SHE's STILL PEEING!!!
Dinner is literally thrown down the drain and we had to order takeout.
Onto after dinner... I'll be quick, I see this is a long one. Takeout was Chinese. Maya got a hold of Hayden's sweet and sour sauce, dumped it on the fabric kitchen chair and floor. My day pretty much started and ended using the carpet shampooer. It's starting to be one of the best purchases, ever.
I'm on glass of wine number 2.

A Sticker a Day?

We are trying something with Hayden. He's been such a little you know what, that we figured a threat may be just the thing to get his butt in gear. What?! That sweet little face is a little pain in the rear?! Yes, it is.

Hayden isn't always bad, he can be a sweetheart, great helper and just a wonderful little boy, but right now, the bad is outweighing the good. Unfortunately. So, I thought of a little calendar and sticker idea with the idea of this: Every day Hayden is good, doesn't excessively whine, eats well, cleans up, gets dressed without a fuss, bathes without a breakdown, etc, he gets to put a sticker on a calendar before he goes to bed. If there has been too much yelling, threatening, and disciplining on mine or Buddy's part...you got it, no sticker.

It's pretty amazing that a little piece of paper with a sticky side to it could make all the difference in the actions of a 4 year old. We started this on the 4th of this month, today is the 10th, it's been 7 days. So far, 5 stickers. Yesterday, he lost it before noon and he had preschool in the morning. I was with him a total of an hour and a half and he lost it. He was really bummed about that this morning and today has been a better day.

I think it's working. Our threat for this month is pretty simple and I think that's why it's working. I won't divulge, cuz some may think it's pretty harsh. But, since it's our kid and we are the ones who have to put up with him, we're sticking to our guns. Yes, it does have to do with what he may or may not receive for Christmas. I'll leave it at that. Sorry.

We are going to keep it up through the months. Hayden seems to like the idea of doing something special at the end of the day and he does have to earn it. Keeping fingers crossed that this is the making of an even greater kid.

From Bad to Much Better

Yesterday was a day from hell. I was a cheerleader in high school and I don't remember yelling that much in one game than I did the whole day. Both kids for some reason decided to channel the devil and act like complete hellions. Hayden simply was a snot; back talking, making a mess, whining non-stop, just simply being a brat. Maya only took a 1 1/2 hour nap, cried waaaayyy too much, kept getting in front of me in order to try and be held, and pulled a sassy attitude. I didn't think a 16 month old could have an attitude, but she can.

To top off the day, Buddy didn't get home until 6 when he's usually home around 4. Those extra two hours kicked my ass. But, once he was home, things cooled off slightly. At least made it so I could clean the kitchen and get some laundry done.

Of course I was unable to fall asleep. I was still up at 10:30 when Maya started to cough, bad. Usually she just falls back asleep, but this time she didn't. She didn't start crying, but I could tell she was not happy. I went to her room and tried to get her to fall back asleep. She was really stuffed up and with a NUK, that doesn't work. I got my Eucalyptus Scentsy and plug-in warmer to see if that would clear her up. (It really does work!) It worked for about 15 minutes. She coughed again and had it with her bed.

Maya isn't a cuddler. Major bummer as a Mom. But, when I got her out, she just hugged onto me like she was saying, "Thank you Mommy. I just want to be by you." Talk about melting my heart! Especially after the day we had. I grabbed her blanket and bear, the Scentsy plug-in and headed to my room.

I put her down, turned on the TV, plugged in the warmer and joined her. She looked at me like she was saying Thank You. I laid by her on my side, she got squirmy and I thought, "oh crap, she thinks we're going to play." Nope, she just moved over closer to me, laid on her side, cuddled in and we, for lack of a better word, spooned.

We laid like that for awhile, watching an NCIS rerun. This made my day so much better. All the crap that happened through the day just melted away. It was so good to just lay there with her, snuggled up with the scent of Eucalyptus filling the air. Aaahhhhh.

She had no fever, just stuffiness and cough. I've got the same problem at night. We're just both getting over the same crud.

Fingers crossed for a good day today...