Highlights: Words

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas!

*We had David's family Christmas on Saturday, drove all day on Sunday, finished some last minute shopping on Monday, opened presents with my mom on Monday late afternoon, ended up skipping church b/c we were too crunched for time, went to my dad's place on Monday night and opened MORE presents, came back to mom's leave Santa milk and cookies and 9 carrots (for the reindeer) and go to bed so Santa could come.

*By Christmas Day we were exhausted, but also happy. We went to the lake and ate, ate, ate. Also, we played outside, the girls got to go 4 wheeling, played board games, watched movies and enjoyed being together.

*We made it to SD- in case I haven't mentioned it 80 gajillion times before, it's 550 miles of driving. Our kids did so great in the cars, once again. We are always so damn impressed by them.

*Yesterday was a perfect day of nothing. We couldn't rally, so we just napped and played and napped some more. There was also lots of cookies and chocolate. I don't think I even like chocolate anymore.

*My mom's boyfriend came over for dinner last night. My mom is getting laid! You guys, that is so weird. (I am happy for her. He seems very nice. He's a cowboy!)

*I am doing laundry today. Coming home with suitcases full of CLEAN clothes? LIFE-CHANGING.

* David MADE me a flat screen TV. Yes. He made it. It's so cute! He got some kind of kit, blah, blah, blah, used a flat screen monitor, blah blah, blah. Who cares how he did it- he made me a TV. That's right. Mama's got a flat screen.

*I also got a bunch more Fiestaware (so fun!), I Like You by Amy Sedaris (you must read this), some warm jammies, and a CD/MP3 player for my kitchen. My dad also bought us a new leather ottoman. I can't wait to get home and try everything out.

What were your Christmas highlights?

(Highlights: Pictures coming soon.)

Curlie Girlies, Christmas Program, Some Thoughts On (Not) Weaning, and CHRISTMAS!!!

Curlers in hair:

Curlers out of hair (the next morning):

All dressed up for their Christmas program:



I wish they were this sweet to each other all the time:

I am in love:

Some thoughts on weaning:

I noticed it this morning, changing her diaper. I pulled a toastie warm foot from her pajamas, and it was so clearly a BABY's foot. And I kissed it, and it tasted good, the way only baby feet can. Then I noticed her hands- chubby and dimpled. Baby hands. And I realized that this is why she is not weaned. She may have lots of words, and baby signs, and stagger around our house like a little drunk, but she is, in spite of herself, a baby.

I have established "milk's all gone" when I don't want to nurse her (usually because she JUST nursed). She accepts, with a heart-breaking defeat, and sticks her pasi back in her mouth. It had to be done though, for my sanity. (And it was a difficult few days, where I would say "milk is all gone" and she would scream in disbelief.) Also, she is sleeping better, most nights. She still gets up between 3 and 4 am, but I can get away with one nursing and she'll sleep again.

Someday, we will be done nursing. Not yet, but someday. Hopefully it's when we are both ready.

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Christmas panic:

Starts now! Crap, you guys! I don't want to be stressed and crabby, but there is so much left to do. And my kids- they just won't stop being kids for a few days so I can get stuff done. Jeez. I'm not done shopping, haven't wrapped a thing, need to bake, need to make the food for David's family Christmas (on Saturday), need to think about packing, NEED TO DO THE CHRISTMAS CARDS CRAP CRAP CRAP, etc, etc, etc.

We are going to Rapid City for a week, so there's that planning too.

I really wish we were just staying home. I'll be happy once we get there; we always have fun. But it's SO FAR AWAY. And I want my kids to wake up here on Christmas.

BAH.

And also:

Yay! It's almost Christmas! I love this time of year. I'm happy and excited and content. I like to look at my tree when it's dark and just the tree is lit. We get to see so many people we love in the next week. And the kids are so much fun. And they are going to DIE when they change this baby's diaper. When we get to my mom's house, we are going to make a gingerbread house and go ice skating. Etc, etc, etc.

What's Better Than a Visit To Santa?

Why, tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy, of course!

Joan, friend, Kate, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Clara

Joan, enjoying her sugary feast, er, I mean "tea".

There was a dance lesson too- here's the girls practicing their ballet moves.

This age- nearly 5- is so awesome, you guys! I'm loving it. Whenever any of you share your trials with your 1- or 2-year-olds, I sigh. Part of me totally relates, part of me is smug, for already having crossed that parenthood hurdle, and part of me thinks "YOU JUST WAIT". (There are probably worse words you can say to parents, but "YOU JUST WAIT" ranks right up there. I hate it. And yet.) Because, really, age 3 was the hardest for me. They were cranky, whiny, unappreciative, button-pushing-all-the-DAMN-TIME, screamy little ingrates. Turning 4 helped some- things got slowly better over the last year. But nearing 5, I can already see that this is going to be F-U-N.

On Saturday night, I put curlers in their hair. And they were excited about it. Yesterday, we took them shopping to buy gifts for each other. And then Joan made a card for Kate's present that said "Dear Kate, I love you because you are beautiful. Love Joan". We went to "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", and they were so delighted with the whole experience. They took turns sitting on our laps, and I got sniff after sniff of their delicious hair/scalp smell. Every morning they open our advent box and report to us how many days until Christmas, and also how many days until Christmas Eve, and also how many days until we leave for Grandma's.

It's awesome.

Also, today Marin and I were playing with her doll. I was doing "So Big!" and "Patty Cake" etc with her doll's hands. When I quit, she grabbed the doll's hands and did the sign for "more" with the doll's hands!

Yes, she is a baby genius.

It's Still Magical For The Children

Listen, I can easily get swept up into the whole grossness of Christmas consumerism. I could easily be convinced to skip all the shopping and spending on stuff that no one needs and put the money towards, say, a goat for a family in [insert 3rd World Country of choice here]. In fact, I think those programs are wonderful, and I wish I dedicated more of our money to causes like that (instead of paying the damn dentist $4200- readers, you read that right. That's a whole living room set. Puke.)

But see, I have to remember that the presents, and the waiting, and the suspense, and the sparkle of having something new, is part of the magic of childhood. I need to remember that, for my nearly 5 year old twins, this is the Peak for them, when Christmas will never again be this awesome. Next year, and the year after, and the year after that, they will become less innocent. At some point they will figure out that Santa isn't real, that reindeer don't fly, and that mom and dad shop on a budget. Bor-ing.

So it is for them, these little humans that I love so much, that I shelled out hard earned cash on Baby Alive. Now, for those of you without any Pink People under your roof, let me explain: Baby Alive drinks a bottle and then pees her diaper. Some versions of this doll even eat baby food and then SHIT their pants. Did I get the shitting version? NO! We have enough actual people in this house that soil their pants (or arguable worse- yell "MOM! WIPE ME!"). Plus, you have to buy FOOD to feed a DOLL. Um, no. (It's like getting an actual baby, only without the human brain inside the skull that grows and develops and becomes, you know, a member of the family.)

The peeing-only baby it is. I got them this "Only at Target" version. And get this- the dolls are anatomically correct. They are going to die- DIE- when they open up those diapers. And that, friends, is magic for ME.

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Holiday tip: Do not store the decadent, melty, AWESOME chocolate truffles (that you pilfered from your husbands office) next to the toaster oven. Especially if you use said toaster oven 90 or more time/day.

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Hey, want a quick and easy (and also quite TASTEEE) holiday recipe? No? Had enough tempting recipes lately? Then just skip this last part.

Ritz Cracker Cookies

You will need:

Ritz crackers
peanut butter
chocolate almond bark
sprinkles

Directions:
Melt chocolate on stove. (A double-boiler will ensure the chocolate doesn't burn). Smear peanut butter between 2 crackers for a "cracker sandwich". 2 sleeves makes a moderate amount, a whole box makes a generous batch. Dip the cracker sandwiches in chocolate until completely covered. Place on wax paper and sprinkle. Let harden. DONE. Now eat no less that 4 cookies, reminding yourself that peanut butter is healthy.

The girls and I made these once already, and then promptly ate them all, so I don't have any pictures to show you. Perhaps we'll make them later, and I'll add pictures? We'll see.

Weaning My Beast

It's time.

It happened this way with the twins too- instead of getting less interested in nursing as they got older, they became obsessed.

Marin is nursing more now than she did at 10 months. I can't even hold her without her pestering me for some milk. Nursing no longer sends her into blissful la-la land of drunken sleep- instead she wants to nurse and Nurse and NURSE all night long. And all day too.

She has worn out her welcome.

Last night I realized that I no longer enjoyed breastfeeding her. I dread it. I've been gamely playing along for awhile now, while my resentful feelings slowly built, because she's been sick off and on so much.

But she's feeling better now. And nursing more than she was last week. The other morning, I switched sides 6 (SIX!!!) times between 5 and 6 am. In the past, if she woke that early, I could briefly nurse her and she'd snuggle next to me and sleep. Now, she'll snuggle next to me only if I INSERT! NIPPLE! IN! MOUTH! And NOW! If I do not comply, she SCREAMS, and thus keeps wakes the whole family.

Clearly her tunnel vision is effecting her sleep. And mine.

Last night she was SO mad at us for not nursing her. We were up with her for HOURS while she dozed and protested. I did not give in. Finally she went back to sleep.

I wish I could continue to breastfeed for awhile. At 12 months, when she was just nursing before naps and bedtime, I was so content with our ways. I was not eager to wean. But things are different now. If only she would have stayed like she was then. But Noooooo, she had to go get all milk-junkie on me.

Let the smackdown continue.

Enough

So when I come home at the ass-crack of dawn from my work Christmas party, and the house is all cozy and warm, and the kids have been fed, read to, tucked in, and loved up by their Daddy while I was gone, and then. THEN. I get to crawl into bed where it's already all warm from my husband. And he's been sleeping on my side, so that my side is extra warm. Well, that is enough. It's pretty much all I need.

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Hey! Did I tell you we found our digital camera? We did! We are so happy/relieved. Also, we have stopped obsessing over the ads for good camera deals. Happy! Relieved!

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We have a plethora of underwear/panties/drawers/choose-your-favorite-term-here. A few months ago, the girls had only enough underwear to get through about 7-10 days. I had about the same number. David's underwear situation is confidential, so I'm not allowed to share with you. But that's ok, because I can still make my point without that information. So anyway, we each had roughly a week's worth, thus forcing us to do laundry weekly. Then, we all got more underwear. (You: What a splurge! Go Greens! Me: Hush now, or I'll forget what I'm saying.) Now, we don't run out of underwear, therefore we don't do laundry every week. Then when we DO start laundry, it's out of control.

So, I need to throw out some underwear. That's my point. Nothing else.

Bye!

PS. It's snowing here. We're supposed to get lots and lots of snow. (*cue "White Christmas"*) Now is when you either swoon or barf, or maybe both?