It’s funny. Over the past few years since we moved to Austin, we would have killed to have been invited to a Halloween party…or any party for that matter. Now that my son is almost 3 years old, and we have gotten to know quite a few people through various activities like playgroups, library and church, we have so many invitations to parties that I can’t keep track of them all. Just this past week, we have gone to a Halloween party with our play group and at the library and we are going to one this evening. This week alone, we have received not one, not two, but THREE birthday party invitations for kids coming up in the next couple of weeks. Mind you, my son’s birthday is in two weeks, and I have yet to send out his invitations. It has been fun, don’t get me wrong. And I appreciate all the invitations…I do! But, I’m just a little partied out at the moment. It doesn’t seem like we’ve been home just existing over the weekend for quite a while, and now I realize why so many people say how overwhelmed they are during the holidays. Maybe, with all the isolation we’ve faced since moving here in 2004, we’ve become a bit too reclusive. I know I have that tendency. I love being around people, but I definitely get my energy from being by myself doing stuff like blogging, cleaning out closets, looking through pictures, reading and doing quiet, non-social things. I mentioned that I’m like my Grandma in her eulogy. She was a homebody who dreaded and could come up with every excuse in the book why she didn’t think she could make it to some event or activity–even if it was something she enjoyed. But, once you got her out of the house, she was the life of the party. She was one of the funniest, wittiest people I knew. Yet, you would have never known that she contemplated not coming at least 10 times before she arrived at the party. She always seemed so READY TO PARTY! It was an act. That’s me.
So today, I relish in the fact that we are just home — at least for the morning and afternoon. While errands and things that need to be done don’t escape me, I’m still enjoying this very moment sitting on my couch with a warm blanket and a cup of coffee. The smell of my husband’s waffles are in the air. The pitter patter of little feet. The grunts and yawns and coos of a tiny human. The squeals of a toddler. (OK, that last one was a lie. I do not enjoy his squeals at the moment.) And dammit, come hell or high water, I will not be uptight and grouchy and stir crazy because the house is a mess or because I cannot get a darn thing done — even though my husband is home. We have relatives, my Uncle Dave and Aunt Babbie, coming in town next weekend, so I have a laundry list of things that I want to have done before they get here — the house cleaned, the laundry done, blah blah blah…but that will not thwart my plan to be easy going and have fun this weekend. It will all get done. It will all get done.
So, I missed my gratitude list from yesterday. I was very tired from the night before with kids not sleeping well and me not sleeping well. I went to bed with my baby at 8:15pm last night despite my desire to watch the last game of the world series and fell asleep after trying to get him down for nearly 2 hours. I thought of getting up at some point throughout the restless, sleepless night I had last night, but why?? Will this sleeplessness EVER end, btw? (sigh) I hope so! Or I might lose my everloving MIND!
OK, so here goes:
I’m grateful for:
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Moments (although very short moments) of solitude
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Parties to attend (but not so many)
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Cooler weather (with the heater on)
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Warm blankets (that are clean and free of spit up or snot)
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My little cuddly fam (when they aren’t screaming)
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The Cardinals won the world series (OK, I’m stretching here because I could really care less)
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Bath & Body Works products that currently work to help my place smell cleaner than it actually is (because it is emphatically not clean)
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My new Cuisinart food processor that I can’t wait to get my hands on (but never have time to actually use)
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My son’s potty training success this week. (despite my inconsistency and lack of expertise on how to deal with a rather stubborn toddler)
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Silence. Whenever I am lucky enough to get it. Which isn’t often. Especially not right now as my son is jumping on his art table. (gosh, he can be so annoying) OK. Sorry. That was so ungrateful of me. And he just pooped in his pull ups. Geez!!! QUIT SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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