Category Archives: Grumpy Nico

Nov 8

The Holiday Blues

Dylan and I were picking up a few things at Dollar General, when this cute little lady came up to me, and said hi. She asked how old the baby was, and commented on all of the Christmas decorations already in the store. She then said, “I love to see all of the Christmas decorations, but that time of year always makes me so sad.”  I had to admit it, and I told her “me too…”

I love Halloween, and all of the fun that Thanksgiving brings, but the very next day my happy mood turns to sour stresses. It has been this way ever since I can remember, I just don’t do well with the stress of the holiday season. I love the meaning of Christmas and spending time with my loved ones, but I don’t love the endless shopping, the blatant commercialism, and the never ending stress of gotta have more. I constantly question every purchase that I have made, and stress over every little mundane detail of the big day, and I just wonder how can I get through the holidays without suffering from an ulcer…

I am determined to change, and do my best to get through the holiday season with my sanity intact. This year I’m doing things differently, and we’ll see if it helps any.

  • I love to bake, and baking homemade goodies really makes me happy. I’ll be baking more cookies, and giving them as gifts.  The kids and I will also be taking cookies to our Church, hospital, and to many of our friends and family.
  • I will keep the Christmas decorating simple. I will be putting up less and therefore there will be less to take down when the holidays are over.
  • I will be making my own Christmas cards. I love to make paper crafts along with jewelry, and spending a little more time creating these crafts might take away a little stress.
  • I will be skipping the “Package Christmas Pictures”! The kids hate to go, and it is never an enjoyable experience for any of us, not to mention those pictures cost way too much! I’ll be taking pictures when the kiddos are in happy moods, and printing them locally. Eliminating the “Package Christmas Pictures” will also save a lot of  time and gas. Before I would have to drive 30 minutes with the kiddos to take the pictures, and then drive 30 minutes home, then it is another 30 minute trip (usually in bad weather) with the kiddos to pick the pictures up, and pay way too much, and then 30 minutes home. Yeah, I’m so done with that.
  • I’m also skipping the big holiday meal. This one might scare the family. I’m going to cook a smaller meal, and take a little time out of the kitchen, so I can spend a little more time being the full-time hostess.
  • Last year we instituted that the Christmas festivities would be starting in the afternoon. This really helped a lot. We could spend plenty of time with the kids on Christmas day, and the kids were a little calmer too. I know this was tough on the Grandmas, but it was really great for our family. We spent the morning together hanging out stress free in our jammies!

Do you have any tips or traditions that keep you calm during the holidays?

Nov 4

Two Spilled Shakes

This has been one of those weeks, and it is only Tuesday. Where to start… On Sunday night my left eye was itchy, and I think I scratched it a little too hard, cause I got this bump. I wore my glasses all day yesterday, and the bump went away, cool I can put my contacts back in on Tuesday. This morning I wake up, and evidently I must have itched my eye in my sleep, because my left eye is completely swollen down to my cheek bone, just lovely. So I’m in my glasses, and it looks like I’ve picked a fight…

Yesterday Dylan had his well baby check up, and it was going great until the Doctor asked if we had checked his lead levels and hemoglobin… We hadn’t and she recommended that we do, thanks again to all of the lead paint in children’s toys, we’re off to the lab. Here is the crappy part it isn’t a finger prick test, you have to have blood drawn from the arm, and Dylan isn’t a fan of needles.

So we wait in the waiting room, and Dylan gets to play with all of the fun toys, and he is all smiles, then his name is called, and into the dark chamber of the lab we go. It takes Mommy and 2 nurses to hold Dylan while his blood is drawn, but thank goodness we made it thought it. Thanks again to Shaunna who was watching Thade, so I didn’t have two freaked out kids in the lab, I owe you big time!

I had already decided that we were going out for Ice Cream after dinner, it had been one of those days. I fed the kids early and we went and picked up Milkshakes and Hot Fudge Sundaes for the family. Both of the kiddos were thrilled, Thade picked out a Chocolate Milkshake and Dylan vanilla. When we got home James took Thade upstairs so they could watch Football and I was downstairs with Dylan cleaning up after dinner.

I had put that last load of laundry in the dryer, when Dylan ran into the utility room holding an empty cup. Hmmm, just where was the Vanilla Shake? I guess Dylan loved his shake so much that he gave it a big hug, and splattered vanilla ice cream all over the living room. I then found little vanilla handprints in the dining room, on my diaper bag, all over the kitchen floor, and stove, and not to mention all over Dylan.

Great, so know there is that big-huge-sticky mess that needs cleaned, and by this time my patience is wearing thin. So I clean it all up, and take Dylan upstairs to get ready for bedtime.

Thade was upstairs still savoring his Chocolate Shake, and I was relaying the vanilla mess to James when Dylan took off running down the hallway and Thade chased after him, and we hear a thud and a blood curdling scream. Great who fell, and is injured I thought?!? So James and I run down the hallway and we see  Thade who is hyperventilating and screaming “my Ice Cream, my Ice Cream!”

Thade had dropped and splattered his chocolate shake all over the hallway and into their bedroom, and he was losing it big time. James grabbed Dylan before he could get into the chocolate mess, and I tried to calm Thade down, as I cleaned up the second mess of the evening. Who knew a chocolate shake could go so far?

James ended up giving Thade his Caramel Malt and that calmed Thade down, I finally got the second mess all cleaned up, and the boys off to bed. I think next time I’ll stick to Ice Cream Cones…

Nov 3

Four For October

I thought I would re-do this one too, and then I’m all caught up… Last month I set a goal of 10 days without driving, but I only managed 4 days in October without driving. I did make it to the bi-monthly recycling drop off twice though, so I’m happy about that one. I hope to do better in November. I’ll set my November goal for seven days of no driving, let’s see if I can get it done!

Sep 22

Enough All Ready

Seriously, I have been sick since Thursday, and still I am sick this morning. I really hope to have a post in soon that isn’t flu related, but so far that is all that is going on over here. I’m completely miserable, but I’ve got to get it together and get Thade to school. He is feeling great, and is ready to go. After that I think I’m going to come home and collapse on the couch…

Sep 20

Yep, Still Sick

This sucks… I was hoping that after a long night of sleep I would wake up refreshed and renewed, but no, I’m still sick. My tonsils are huge, and I think I can hear out of 1/2 of my ear, which I guess is good because Dylan is feeling good and screaming his happy screams today.

Thade still has a horrible cough, and he was mad at me this morning because I told him it was Saturday and not Sunday. I love debating the days of the week with my 4 year old.

James is also doing much better, thank goodness. Now if Nico can just get back to better, we’ll be all set.