Mom Talk

Tonight, after my daughter was in bed, I quietly began to set up her Christmas morning loot. I placed the wrapped presents under the tree and left a few unwrapped for the “wow” factor as she comes downstairs in the morning. I built a little fort with some Lincoln Logs we got her as part of this ensemble. I finished the project and cleaned up the living room. While I was working, I thought I heard little footsteps on the second floor but my daughter tends to be scared to get out of bed at night so I thought I was hearing things.

When I was done with everything, I sat down in the recliner in the living room to admire my work. As I was sitting there, half dozing, waiting for the washer to finish its cycle so I could go to bed, I heard an unmistakable creaking on the stairs. I got up and quickly popped my head over the railing to meet two of the most startled eyes I’ve ever seen and a flash of purple snowman pajamas frantically trying to make it back up three steps.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “Sorry,” was her answer. “Are you creeping downstairs to look at your presents?”

“Yes, sorry,” she said. She was examining my face to see if I was angry. I could not help but grin.

“We don’t do that, okay? Now go back to bed.” She hurried back into her room. I went up to make sure she really got in bed and she was lying there, sucking her thumb, eyes wide.

“If you see your presents tonight it will ruin the surprise,” I told her quietly.

“Were you still in the living room?” she asked.

“Yes, but even after I go to bed you need to stay in your bed, okay?” She nodded again. Hopefully getting caught was enough to keep her honest. We’ll see in the morning.

Today as I sat at my desk at work pondering how on earth I was going to accomplish all the things on my list before Christmas, I felt panic began to rise. I’m already tired and it’s only Monday. I need to get the house back in order (from letting it go while I was sick), do a TON of laundry, wrap presents and get packed to go out of town. All this and I have to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all day. I got out my calendar to start filling in my time sheet for the week and discovered 4 hours of vacation I had marked off but not yet used! I felt like I won the lottery! Now, I get to leave work at 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. What a relief! Those extra hours will save my sanity. What’s on your last minute Christmas list?

I hate winter. I have said it before but today I really mean it. The wind chill here is below zero and the regular temp is in the teens. It’s the kind of cold that actually, physically hurts when you go outside. It makes me want to hibernate. “Move to a warmer climate,” you might be thinking. I also hate really hot weather. Here, I get both but also the pleasures of spring and fall. So, I’ll just continue to complain and keep on living here in the good ‘ole Midwest. On bone chilling days like today, I’ll just stay inside as much as possible and keep the heat cranked up. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is really just the first day of winter. Brrrr and arrggghh!!

 I think I officially have the flu. At least that’s what my online search of symptoms turned up. Fever, chills, body aches, stuffy nose, cough, stomach issues. . .I’m officially in yuckville. Some friends of ours were nice enough to come get my daughter today so I could get some rest, but yesterday I had to get through it on my own. Here are some tips I’ve come up with to survive the flu with an energetic 4-year-old around.

-Find something she can do in the same room while you sit and do nothing. For us, that meant watching a movie in the playroom while I rested in her bed (the rooms are basically one). She also played with a nativity scene she’s fond of in the floor of the living room while I nodded in the recliner.

-Let your house be the disaster it wants to be. As long as she wasn’t starting a fire or at risk of injury, I have pretty much let her do what she wants. The cushions to my couch are in the middle of the floor and there is laundry everywhere. I’m just not gonna get upset about it.

-Let her fend for herself if she can. Our rule of thumb for the last several days has been, “if it sounds good to you, eat it.” She’s eaten fruit snacks, string cheese, tortilla chips and dry cereal from the box. I have managed to drag myself to the kitchen to pour her a glass of milk or sugar-free Kool-aid. We’ve taught her to use the water dispenser on the fridge and that’s been a life saver.

-Take snuggle time when you can get it. She wanted to nap with me yesterday and I took advantage of it. I’m trying not to expose her to my germs but it’s probably inevitable. I just wash my hands a lot and try to stay out of her face. Beyond that, I hope for the best and prepare myself for the fact that she may be sick on Christmas.

I have nothing profound to offer, just survival tips based on my experience. I’m sure all you veteran moms out there have some time tested tips for us. Feel free to leave a comment to enrich us with your wisdom!

 Ever have one of those colds that comes on all of a sudden? Welcome to winter, right? This morning when I woke up, my throat was a little scratchy but I didn’t feel bad. I went about my morning at work as usual and even went Christmas Caroling with my co-workers (we raised money for the Salvation Army).

Shortly thereafter, I was sitting at my desk when I sneezed about 15 times in a row. After that, my sinuses and ears began to ache and suddenly I was congested. It happened that fast. Now I am sitting here all miserable and sickly with a tissue stuck up one nostril. Ugh.

 There is food everywhere over the holidays. Everywhere I turn there’s cookies, candy, popcorn. . .and the list goes on! I fight the urge to eat as best I can but sometimes, the draw is just too much and I catch myself indulging. I have gained a bit of weight over the last few months and I really just want to hold steady through the holidays. My strategy? Take it one day (or one meal or one snack) at a time. I usually do pretty good at breakfast and lunch, but mid afternoon, my need for carbs takes over. To combat it, I try just having a tiny portion of whatever it is that’s tempting me at the moment. I’ll let you know if my strategy is successful when my diet starts in January!

 This morning I had a blond moment. We had a minor episode of freezing rain here in St. Louis last night, leaving a fine glaze of ice on everything. My hubby has the freedom to work from home under such conditions so I was able to leave my daughter with him and head straight to work. I donned my new snow boots (for traction) and headed gingerly down my back porch stairs, my shoulder loaded with my laptop bag and purse. When I reached the gate on our chain link fence, I realized the latch was iced over and would not lift. I pulled with all my might and it didn’t even budge a little.

I stood there for a few seconds more, contemplating what I should do. I wondered if I would have to jump the fence (I’m sure you’re already laughing) or if I should go in and get a pitcher of hot water to pour over the latch. Still deep in thought, I headed back for the back door, planning to ask my husband what he would recommend to get the latch open. As I paused with my hand on the doorknob, my brain suddenly began to function and I realized the simple solution . . .the front door.

I was in a hurry so I walked back through the house and told my family “bye” again. Hubby told me to be careful as the front porch is usually even more slippery than the back sidewalk. I made it to the car and headed for work. Later in the day, I talked to my mom on the phone and just told her about the back gate being frozen, not my whole thought process. She said, “Wow, if that happened to me, it might take me a few minutes to realize I could go through the front door. I’d probably be out there with a pitcher of water or something, trying to open the latch.” That is when it became amusing to me that the same thought had crossed my mind. I was very glad I came to my senses before asking my husband what I should do. Even now, I can picture the amusement I’m sure he would have displayed had I asked him how I was supposed to get to the car. My mom and I had a really good laugh over the whole thing. Apparently, great minds (and other kinds) think alike.

I now understand why my mom was always in such a bad mood when we put up the Christmas tree. While hanging the ornaments and looking at the tree when it’s finished is fun, the preparation is not. I even have a pre-lit tree but that still involves fluffing all the branches and putting on the garland before anyone can really help me. By the time that part is done, I’m tired and cranky, and then it’s time to let my 4-year-old help me hang the ornaments. She doesn’t really get the whole spacing thing so I really end up doing that myself, too. When it’s all done, I like turning out the lights and listening to Christmas tunes as much as the next person. It’s the preparation that gets me down. So here’s to you, Mom, and all those years we bugged you to put the tree up on November 1^st. I feel your pain.

 Putting up the Christmas tree in a smallish house can be quite a challenge. I have had every intention of putting up our tree since the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My daughter has been begging me daily. Unfortunately, we are just getting around to it today. It requires a complete rearrangement of our living room and it means I have to get up into our spider infested attic, neither of which I find appealing (see my arachnophobia post). Today, we are biting the bullet and getting it done. Basically, we get to see just how much stuff we can cram into one room and still have a pathway to walk. It’s time to put my puzzle completion skills to work!

I am currently struggling with a dilemma. To buy new jeans or not to buy new jeans, that is the question. Unfortunately, I have gained quite a lot of weight over the last several months. What can I say, I like to eat. I am now trying to watch my portions and eat more vegetables, one meal at a time. I just don’t have it in me to commit to a “diet” plan right now. My current jeans do NOT fit. I can get them on and get them buttoned but they are WAY too tight and uncomfortable. So, do I buy a bigger size and wear them until I lose weight? I’m living in sweat pants right now and trust me, that does NOTHING for the self-esteem. The problem is, one size up for me is in the plus section at the store, somewhere I prefer not to shop. I guess I’m going to have to get over it until I lose a few pounds.

The real problem? I don’t want to weigh what I now weigh but I don’t want to eat differently. Unfortunately, those two things do not go together. If only. . .