Monday, January 4, 2010

And...we're off!

First day back to school.
Alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m.
Dozed until 6:50 a.m.
Rolled outta bed and heard "I feel sick".
Didn't buy it until I saw her gray chalk-coloured face.
Well, one more day in p.j's. can't hurt.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Holiday Hangover

If I see another spinach pumpernickel bread bowl I'm gonna vomit (and it's not because I dislike it, it's because I have an addiction to it).

Today is the last day of the holidays and tomorrow we are back into the schedule of life. I'm scared.

It's gonna hurt going back. We haven't been following a schedule for two weeks and we REALLY enjoyed it. No lunches were made, no walks back and forth six times between the school and home. Don’t get me wrong, entertaining the girls for twelve hours a day was a lot of work, but I didn't bath them diligently every other day and they stayed in p.j's until 4p.m. Dance classes and Girl Guides were all done so no hectic driving in rush hour traffic… with the exception of TWO trips to the Eaton Centre just before Christmas because I’m a “masochist shopper”.

The holidays are like not going to the gym for two weeks and eating whatever you want. At first it's awesome and you think you've died and gone to heaven but by the end you feel shaky. Once you go back to the old routine you feel outta shape and sore on day two.

I'm going need a heating pad and a gin and tonic at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

And to all a good nizzzzzzzzz

Friday, January 1, 2010

I Decked The Halls!

This was an interesting Christmas. For the first time in many many years we had some extra spending money for the season. And although we knew that 2010 will be another year of budgeting, we decided to splurge on the kids. Usually in years past we would scrimp and save, hope for a miracle cheque or for money as a gift from family to pay for bills and groceries the week after the big holiday. I would always stress about it, but somehow…someway there were always too many presents under the tree and the girls were thrilled by the littlest gift. "LOOK! I got LIFESAVERS in a box with a maze on it!!!" "Rudolph's REAL!!! He dropped carrots on the way up the chimney. He's REAL, I knew it!!"

Among the gifts this year? I spent double the price on Zu Zu Hamsters for both girls because it was the must-have toy of the season. They didn't know what it was but I prided myself on getting this high demand gift. The older one got a D.S. I now know what that stands for. "Don't Sh#t when you see the price tag.” Games, puzzles, special order dolls…the list goes on. And you know what the girls loved the most? Having hot chocolate with whip cream for a week straight. Opening the Advent Calendar door every day. Going to the mailbox and checking for Christmas cards. And my personal favorite was seeing the joy on their faces when I would sing the entire "Frosty the Snowman" song for the 800th time.

Secretly I had more fun in past years coming up with creative ideas for gifts that cost next to nothing. Maybe this will be the year that I can find the perfect balance between teaching my children…and learning from them.

Happy New Year my friends,
Over spender...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz