O.V.E.R.

Like a spoiled two year old, I really want to stomp my foot and scream: "I don't want Christmas break to be over!!"

I'm sad tonight. Tomorrow Jim goes back to traveling. Meg goes back to preschool Tuesday. Kate starts swimming lessons that morning as well. I have 3 sessions to edit, plus 3 more coming up later this month.

*Sigh* The holidays are officially over, and I hate it. Gotta get back to 'normal' at our house.

It's been so very nice having Jim here with us since the 22nd of last month. That's nearly 15 consecutive days of him . . . the most we've had as a family since the summer. I just love sharing everything with him. I love that we can climb into bed together at night and talk about the days events or what we want to accomplish tomorrow. I love that he gets to hear Meg's funny comments, see Kate's smiles. Tonight, Jim was kind enough to make dinner, give the girls their bath, and put Meg to bed . . . his last hoo-rah with them, I guess. Tomorrow it's back to girls only around here.


I've really tried to make a commitment to myself: I'm not going to spread myself too thin. I'm going to try and take it easy a bit more, stay home more days, do less running around. I really don't want to feel as ragged and stressed as I made myself in Oct, Nov, Dec last year. Ugh, it was a hard few months for us.

I need to really focus on Meg and Kate . . . they are my # 1 job, after all. I need to stop and pay more attention to what they need, what makes them happier kids. Routines have changed here . . . bathtime is MUCH easier now that Kate sits proudly in the tub, but mornings are harder because everyone eats breakfast at the table now. Kate needs to have more chances to nap like a normal kid . . . and by that, I mean in her bed, not the car seat. I just want to give the girls some down time to relax and just be kids. Doing nothing is often better for them than all the craziness I try to plan to keep us busy.

I decided not to enroll Meg in music class this session, hoping that one less hectic morning of trying to get everyone up, fed, dressed, and out the door would make us all happier people. Kate is doing mom/baby swimming, so adding that to the Tues/Thurs routine will make things different and busy, anyway. I plan for us to do more low-key things on Mon/Wed/Fri . . . library trips, playdates, and spending time here at our house. Dude, the girls got enough new stuff for Christmas to keep them busy well into the spring. We really don't need to go anywhere at all!


So, here's to a wonderful 2009. Break is over, it's time to face it head on. I'm hoping to make it a little less hectic than I made 2008. (And that means NO babies in 2009 -- no way, no how!!)

Even with all we have to look forward to this year -- I still want to stamp my foot just a bit. I'm going to miss Jim a lot when he leaves tomorrow. I don't wanna go back to normal. Our Christmas break rocked, and it's always sad to see such a good thing come to an end.