Sunday, December 30, 2012

Crazy Christmas!




The Holidays came and went and in all reality, the children handled it better then expected.  If you asked me two weeks ago how it would have panned out I would have predicted a much different outcome.

The last few years we have done Christmas eve at my fathers house.  I know, I am suppose to alternate Holidays with my husbands family but.....Christmas Eve with my dad is my thing.  My Babci (grandma in Polish) was the one who held the Christmas Eve festivities since the time of my birth.  Every year, always the same, Dec 24th I was in Jersey in a basement eating shrimp and pierogies sharing Oplatki and mispronouncing words in the Bible.  In 2007, about a month before I found out I was pregnant with Frankie, my Babci passed away.  After that Grandpa Joe took over, and though its now in NY with less people and on the first floor.....That's just where I am happy, I might be typical, but i still don't love change.

With that being said......Holidays riddle me with anxiety.  In the last 4 years I have not been able to relax for one Holiday.  The last few have made me anxious to the extreme, relax isn't even in my vocabulary.

She's Chocolate Wasted

Thanksgiving did go well this year so I'm not so sure why I was concerned.  Maybe it was the 4 houses in 48 hours that freaked me out.  You heard me 4 houses in 48 hours.  Christmas Eve at Dad's  in Long Beach was our first stop.  I had a separate anxiety about the whole thing as I hadn't been to Long Beach since Sandy.  It was one of those towns on the TV where houses were set on fire, boardwalks disappeared and peoples lives turned upside down.  My father has lived there since I was 2 and my step mom her whole life, so while its not my town, its still MY town.

The children held up well that night. Lia cried because she wasn't getting her way but....that's a separate issue.  Children passed out and Santa showed up!







Good Morning!  Santa was here!  Opening gifts was a good time. For the first time, he really got it.  They both REALLY got what was going on.  I have never been so thrilled to see my money gone on toys and truly appreciated.  They got everything they wanted.....and I was so blessed they didn't want that much lol.








The Whirl Wind began shortly after.  We went over to my in laws a few towns over to open some gifts and have some breakfast.

Pack kids back in car....Frankie has first Melt Down.  He doesn't understand we are driving 20 minutes to my Brother in laws house.  He thinks we are canceling Christmas, he is screaming, freaking and now my anxiety builds.  I can only think to myself, please God, Don't make the whole day like this. 

I drink Coffee....recharge!   Get to Brother in laws house.  Children are happy.....the boy is even more thrilled by the pool table in the basement!  We eat, open gifts have a great time and then I realize we must get back in the car to drive to my aunts house 20 minutes South.  As I pack up I start getting anxious again when my Husband does the funniest/meanest/silliest/smartest thing ever.

Husband: Frankie want to see the SURPRISE?  Yea a Surprise, its in the car!!! lets go see it!

Frankie: A SURPRISE IN THE CAR!!!!  OK!!!

In my head I am thinking this can only go wrong.....I run out behind them with a handful of cookies awaiting a crying child....instead I see my husband laughing going back to get the other two.  I reach the van and Frankie is hanging out in the seat.  I say "hey, i have your surprise, its a cookie"  He was cool with that.  I asked him if he was ok.....to which he says "yea, lets go, where is Lia and Baby James?"  ummmmm ok.  With that we left.  My husband some how figured out how to trick my son out of a melt down.  By the time we got to my aunts, he was so happy to see people he forgot that we left my Brother in laws.

I'm not into tricking the kid like that, but it was probably the smartest thing my husband has ever done.  It saved me a meltdown.....because of course we had one when we left the last house that night.

Its getting easier.  These Holiday things, THANK GOD are getting easier.  I am going to just embrace it and not question it.  Happy Holidays and Happy New Year <3 Us!






4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing :) I truly enjoy this post and the pictures :) Glad your Christmas went well too even with the 4 different houses. :)

    This year is the first time David and Joshua really understood what was going on too. It adds an extra joy getting to their faces light up like that on Christmas morning. :)

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  2. forgot the word "see" lol getting to "see" their faces lol

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  3. Great family shots! The holidays have finally started to get better for us, with the Monkey turning five in February. Happy holidays and a great year to come :)

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  4. lol, i added in "see" in my head while i was reading :D

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