Blissfully Unaware of the Chaos the Surrounds Me

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year . . .

While I'm hopeful that I'll be posting again prior to the New Year, it's somewhat unlikely.  I (truly) have not begun to pack for our trip and Saturday is coming oh, so quickly!  The good news?  Think of all the blog fodder I'll have upon my return!

When High Resolution Photos . . .

are not necessarily a good thing.

 

Hello, boogers.  Nice to see you in myotherwise lovely baby-playing-with-bubbles shot.

Grumble, grumble . . .

 I am losing it.  Officially.  Actually, I am losing THINGS.  I cannot find the simplest of things.  Like a nail file.  I must have 30 emery boards somewhere in this house.  Can I put my fingers on a one of them?  Nope! 

I am also losing track of time.  Please note that I am FULLY AWARE that we are leaving for 8 nights, just one week from tomorrow.  Have I done squat-diddly about it?  Nope.  Not unless you count hanging my "formal clothes" on the outer frame of our closet.  Speaking of those clothes, I seemingly have a theme.  Wanna know what it is?

Black.

Aren't I unique?  Creative?  Out-of-the-box?  Apparently I'm not.  At least when it comes to cruise wear! 

And that's as far as I've gotten in planning for our family getaway.  For which we leave in a very short week.  Other than to peruse the cruise website at length.  Only to learn that they will and can and do search your luggage for contraband alcohol.  Seriously?  Bringing your own bottle or two of wine is such a serious offense that the cruise line confiscate the goods?  And here I thought national security was of issue.

Who knew that BYOB was such a serious offense.

As is the serious gas of my dog.  Holy cow.  I am going to bed just to escape the cloud of death that just overcame me as her slept at my feet.  Gross.  Cough.  Gag . . .

Christmas Cards . . .

Can I tell you how much joy Christmas cards bring me?  I LOVE getting them!  Really, truly . . . in a keep a look out for the postwoman kinda way.  I even love designing and sending ours.  With the ever-rising cost of stamps and the movement towards all things digital, I really hope that we never do away with the tradition of mailed Christmas cards.  They bring me so much joy.  (And yes, I am aware that I am a total dork!)

Other joyful goodness?

Antibiotics.  They work.  Who knew?

My ever-honest son. We had planned to do a zip-line canopy tour in Puerto Vallarta on his birthday.  We had to book through the actual company since the cruise line doesn't allow kids under 12 to do that particular tour.  Then we got an email form the company on Monday canceling since it is New Year's Day.  Major suckage.  I called the company - who provides the tours and site for the cruise line as well - and they told me to just register Dylan as one of the adults in our party who was not taking the tour and that they never checked IDs, ages, etc.  Well, I talked to Dylan about it last night and he doesn't want to lie.  So no canopy tour for us.  (Which, between you and I?  Is fine with me.  My fear of heights was only being overcome in celebration of Dylan's birthday.  I have NO desire to do it.  At all.) So we're searching for another option in Puerto Vallarta.  Any suggestions?

My hysterically determined daughter.  She is me.  I'm screwed.  Really, truly.  She knows exactly what she wants.  And she will do whatever it takes to get it.  Scream, cry, throw things, manipulate . . . and man, can she turn on the charm.  She's going to be the one to give me gray hair. 

Eliminating stressors from the holidays.  My tree?  Has no ornaments on it.  My nativity sets?  Not up.  The only stockings that will be filled in my house?  The kids'.  I'm telling you . . . it's not pretty, but it sure is relaxed.

And speaking of relaxed, my break from work is over!  Back to it!

(The dog was clearly not supposed to be on Halle's Pottery Barn chair.  This was Halle's response when I asked her how the dog got on her chair.  "Hmmmmm.")

Bits and Pieces . . .

I feel like I am spinning in and out of functionality.  I have moments where I think I'm on top of it (putting the cards into the mailbox today . . . ahhhh) and then moments where I am feeling completely brain dead (in Target, wandering around, trying, but failing to get what I needed for the house, teacher gift, friend's birthday gift, etc).  I think I'd rather be one or the other, frankly!

And then?  Instead of doing what I need to do (packing lists, wrapping gifts, creating a couple of gifts . . . ) I get completely and totally sidetracked by the most random things.  Cleaning out Halle's sock drawer.  Searching the Internet for about 5 billion cake mix cookie recipes - because they sound good.  And because I want to make some with Dylan this weekend.  Searching online for a perfect toiletry bag - when I know, good and well, that I'm going to use the same toiletry bag that I always do - imperfect or not!  And don't even get me started on Facebook.  It's like crack  for the procrastinator in me.  

My kids are going totally wacko too.  Dylan is all spun out because it's the last week before Christmas break.  Apparently tomorrow they are spending the whole day doing nothing but lounging on sleeping bags and reading.  In preparation for vacation?  I don't get that one, but don't get me started on the idea of Dylan's sleeping bag on the floor of his classroom with his muddy boy-body in and out of it all day.  Yack.  Halle is just in a weird stage.  She wants to merge her two naps into one, but isn't quite there yet.  So we have days like yesterday where she sleeps for 3 hours at daycare, then crashes for a late nap (think 4:45 pm) and then stays up - spinning like an addict - until 10:00 pm.  Or today, when I kept her up all afternoon and started really paying for it by 6:00 pm.  It's ugly, either way.

So with all that whining . . . I'll just briefly add that I still feel like shit.  I finally started the antibiotics that were prescribed last week.  I kept swearing that I could beat it and that it was viral, but it clearly turned into a rager of a sinus infection at some point on Sunday or Monday.  It's gotten so bad that I popped a pain pill for the pain in my face and behind my eyes yesterday.  I have been feeling like I'm on the verge of a migraine for three days now and I finally caved.  Ironically, I felt so much better after taking that damn vicodin, that when my friend Robyn asked how I was feeling, I answered, "great!" and even believed it myself.

Now, I'm going to pull a little positive person out of my ass - now there's a lovely visual - and say that it's all going to get better.  Soon.  The z-pack will kick in and save me from drowning in my own painful snot.  School will get out on Friday and the tension will release.  I will make cookies (and eat them, joyfully) with my son.  I will somehow find a couple of decent shirts for the cruise hidden in my closet somewhere.  And my gifts will get wrapped.  And stockings filled.  And all that jazz. 

So forgive me my horrible attitude.  I promise, it will get better.  I do really love this season.  I love the giving.  I love the creating.  I love the family and the parties and the friends and the treats and church and the carols.  I, more than any of that, love the element of worship.  I love that Jesus is real to me. 

But I do enjoy it so much more when I feel a little more healthy.  And so I am clinging to a healthier version of me emerging in a day or too.  I'll come back then.  I promise!

Peace out!

Really Slacking . . .

Why has it been so hard to find a moment or two to blog?  I have my ideas, but really!  This is ridiculous.  I shouldn't even be up at 5:45 on a Saturday morning, let alone blogging right now! 

I am actually getting ready to head to Roseville with my Mom and Aunt for our traditional "our Christmas shopping is done, but I'm still not in the holiday spirit, so let's walk around the mall" trip to Roseville.  Really.  Sounds fun, heh?

And I am up at 0-dark-hundred because Little Missy was hungry at 4:00.  And 4:30.  And 5:10.  So I gave up and went and took my shower.  Of course, she's been soundly asleep ever since.

So with that, I'm off to hunt down a Children's Place receipt so I can return a couple of things.  It's like free money!

Peace out!

A Missing Post . . .

for those of you bloggers on the Typepad platform, you know that they're recently done some upgrades and changes.  Yeah.  I'm not liking 'em!  I've lost of couple of posts, seemingly whenever they've contained pictures.  And I'm stretching to find time to post at all . . . so don't think I'll be re-writing!  Just consider last week a lost week . . .

As for this week, consider it the week of the excruciatingly sore throat.  Sore enough for me to make an appointment with my primary care doctor later today.  Because I woke up unable to swallow.  And although that puts me back on track to lose some weight?  It also means that I can't have my beloved diet Coke during a stressful week at work.  So either hook me up to a caffeinated and carbonated IV (which probably wouldn't work so well) or figure out if I may have a small country lodged in my throat.  Because that's what it feels like!

I'm also running Halle-boo into her doctor (even though I'm still incredibly disheartened by him and his staff as of late).  She's following in her daycare friend's little footsteps and still sick after 2+ weeks.  I  for my sake, need him to look in her ears and listen to her cute little chest.  And that makes me feel better, so it's well worth the $15 co-pay!

Peace out, I'm hunting down some Advil.