Mylanta quest

My parents are coming over with my sister and bring lunch. Slightly better change in plans than us all going out to eat for lunch because I still feel gross. I have to pop into the grocery store and gets some odds and ends before I go to work and while there I need to get some Mylanta.

I was reading backwards in my journals and every holiday I've been something of a grump except for the holiday where the two family celebrations were NOT back to back.

Gee... what does that tell you? We're too overscheduled at Christmas.

Not what I want Julia to be experiencing as she grows up --a cranky ass mom every holiday. :P

Paul came home and brought Julia another present. I told him he's going beserk with it this year and he admits he is. We let her have two presents early so he gave her the pots and pans she just brought in and I gave her some wooden vegetables and right away she started "cooking" us things.

It's dread

Saturday was Paul's office party. No problem. That was fun, easy to deal with other than eating (brought Julia food, but did not pack my own. Duh.)

Sunday was no problem. Did nursery sunday school and it was easy. Got a bite to eat and then went to drumming. Fun.

Monday. My sister flew in. Went to my massage appointment (good) and then went to see my sister at my parents' house and it started that evening. The sick to my stomach feeling. At first I thought it was something I ate. But it's been on and off since then and I recognize it for what it is -- dread. Sheer holiday dread.

One More Round

• Planned: Short treadmill walk
• Actual: (not yet)

I feel exhausted. And as soon as I get another preschool paycheck I'm going to look into booking a massage appointment. I hear weird clicky noises in my back when I walk sometimes and I feel all tense.

We took Julia to see Nana yesterday and went to Paul's small hometown's holiday parade. It was cute and about what you expect from small towns. Santa Claus on the town's fire truck. Police car line up blaring sirens. Tractors pulling church floats or scout troops. Horses. The high school band. Small businesses decorating their delivery vans and flinging candy out the windows at the kids.

While I was there I kept thinking about holidays and how the whole season just wears me out and how few things we do, like this little parade, I really enjoy.

More later.

Hi

Remember me? The wayward blogger?

Today was a hellish day at preschool. It rained. The kids had cabin fever. They all went beserk. Ten little kids all running around, yelling, acting out, and goodness knows what.

The sweet spot to my day was watching Julia "talk" to her friends. Toddler gibberish interspersed with a few recognizable words. "Hi! ------! ---------? Ok? Yes. ---------!"

She's playful, basically kind, and gentle with the smallest baby. She's learning to assert herself with the rougher toddler boys instead of turning tail and running to me crying.

Evan kissed her on the lips yesterday and she stared at him and smacked him on the forehead. Today she told the same little boy to push her around in the stroller and he did it.

Preschool romance.

Of course, it's not kind to alternate between beating your boyfriend up or bossing him around, even if he is 2 and steals all your Cheerios, and I correct her.

Sometimes she loses control and lashes out. Other times that little hand goes flying up, and I can see the wheels turning in her head and she's thinking it out. She just stands there with her hand in the air trying to decide how she feels about it. Watching her try to master self control fascinates me.

Julia just got over pinkeye. Paul's now sick. My MIL is home from hospital, but has to have an oxygen tank. One thing after another.