It was Merry

This is my favorite photo of the Christmas holiday. It was taken Christmas eve after our family and friends had gone home. I had just given them their new 'Christmas pajamas'. Every Christmas eve, since they were babies, I have gotten them new PJs to wear. Some traditions never die :) Thank goodness. Aren't they just too cute?

Waiting for one more...

Jimmy. Due in Monday night via Southwest Airlines. Woohoo!

Getting in the spirit

I don't know about the rest of the world, but christmas trees are hard to find this last week before the big day! We drove all over the place to find one tree. We almost had to go the 'fake' route. But John was determined to find one. As for me, a fake one would be fine! But that was NOT going to happen according to my son. And poor Sarah was along for the ride listening to us as we zigzagged all over Cape Cod. Finally, a couple of hours later, we found a place that had 2 trees left and we took one. YAY!!




John is trying to get this monstrocity in the door. It was a tight fit. It is fat.
We finally got it up and discovered that the tree lights did not work. As we were in the middle of a snow storm, I had to wait till the next day to get them.



Here are the after storm pics.




This is me behind the tree and then John trying to hit me with a snowball. He was quite accurate. The snowball up in the air in this picture hit me square on the thigh.



And here is Sarah enjoying the decorated tree (with lights!)

Fa La La La La

Tomorrow is John 'pickup day' at the Amtrak station in Providence, RI.
Monday night at 10:30pm is 'Jimmy pickup night' at the airport. And the family will be complete. We don't have the tree yet, as John wants me to wait for him. I haven't made the traditional Christmas cookies because John wants to help. Oh, and John's birthday is the day after Christmas(he turns 20) so there is the birthday cake to make. Oh, and candles to remember to pick up. I suppose we could decorate it with Christmas lights :)
So, from the moment I pick up John and for the next 2 weeks, it is going to be a mad dash-about. From one thing to the next. And the next. And the next. I may as well be one of Santa's reindeer. Just call me Blitzen. That fits.
Can you just see us celebrating the holiday and birthday among 50 packed boxes, that are waiting to be moved? If I could only get them packed!

Busy, busy, busy

After a long tumultuous few weeks, the news is that we are moving. Right at the holidays. A good, sappy Hallmark movie could be made with the plot of this story but, really, who has the time? We are all pitching in and I am hoping it will go smoothly.
We are staying in the same town. But it is an upheaval, especially for Sarah. Her security is very dependent on her surroundings and I am not able to explain to her what's happening in a way that she can understand. My girl. Between the increased activity of Christmas and now the move, she is going to be overdone. And there is nothing I can do to stop it. It is what it is.
The bright spot is the new house is larger and in a very pretty neighborhood. Lots of little streets to walk her along. I do, really, like the house. It is perfect for us. In the end it will all be fine. It's just that the timing is tough. For me, for her.
So the packing begins. And will continue for a couple of weeks. And then we move. I am praying there is not a blizzard on moving day :)

A sentence for Saturday

"My life is not ordinary and neither are my children."

There is chaos here right now. Not a good kind of chaos but here it is. I don't do well with messy circumstances - It upsets my delicate constitution! I need organization! order! structure! predictability! reason! But many people don't operate that way and I don't live in a vacume. Darn. As always, the kids are great and remain solid and steady, while the winds blow around us, turning everything topsy turvy. All will settle eventually and I am trying to remain optimistic till we land on the other side.