First post of 2009

Before you go thinking I'm a slacker for taking until the 13th to post in the new year, let me make my excuses. 1. We were staying with family in the Midwest until Sunday. 2. Said family has unacceptably slow internet access on an ancient computer. 3. A few days, L and I were in San Diego and we had to be outside too much to blog (tragic, I know). 4. When we did finally get back home -- more on the length of our trip in a minute -- we were up to our waists in laundry, mail and grocery shopping. Until now.

So, now that I'm done with excuses, let me do the unthinkable at this time of year and reflect backwards (as opposed to resolving and such for the new year) on our holidays.

We had a good time. We saw our families and were festive and merry and all that. For about three days. Then, we were just there Way. Too. Long. Kids went from sleeping all right to sleeping terribly (and hence so did we). Our parents' quirks went from amusing to tolerable to un-freakin-believably annoying.

But most of that, aside from the sleeping, just affected L and me. The girls LOVED their grandparents and vice versa. They laughed and played and took it all in. That made it worth the above mentioned struggles.

Probably my favorite moment from the whole trip happened at Christmas dinner. My mother-in-law played host to 12 people (which meant that most of the hosting duties fell to L and his brother). She insisted that we have a sit-down dinner with this amalgamation of about four families. We were all enjoying our meal tamely, and Peanut breaks into her 1-year-old rendition of "Jingle Bells." By the time she got to "hey!" the whole table was singing. Now THAT'S the Christmas spirit.

So now back to 2009. Because of our impending travels and all the other things we were doing, I didn't quite do a holiday card. Well, truthfully, I haven't done one since... ever. So, do you think it's too late to do a card with a letter and stuff? Will that just seem strange? Or can I spin it into a Happy New Year thing and not seem like a freak?

I'm probably cursing this, but...

I think we're making progress on the early wake-ups with Jellybean. It's been 7 a.m. or right before the past four mornings.

What's the difference? It's either a big coincidence or it's the new overnight Pull-Ups I got for her. Go figure, there are Pull-Ups specifically for bedtime. Duh.

My parents are heading back home tomorrow. I don't know when we'll see them again -- probably Thanksgiving. It's a bit sad, but it might be nice to have our house back to normal. We have been to the grocery store every freakin' day they've been here! We keep planning and cooking these elaborate meals, and inevitably we forget something(s) at the store on the big trips.

I'll miss the extra playmates for the girls, and so will they. My mom told me today that Jellybean has already gotten teary twice while telling my mom that she'll miss my parents when they're gone. Poor little thing. She goes back to preschool on Wednesday, though, so that will help distract her.

I have to be conscious of how much Peanut understands now too. I need to make sure and tell her that Grandma and Grandpa are leaving tomorrow and going back home. She really comprehends most things like that now and doesn't like being blindsided.

I plan to put my new Mac to use and upload some pics in the next few days.