Keepin' it real...

Whew – we made it through Christmas!  Yes, I really was that concerned.  Friday we went to the library to get the kids their own cards.  They filled out the applications themselves at home first, and after turning them in we browsed the shelves while waiting for the cards.  Boyo didn’t want a book, but Girlie found one she was interested in.  All pretty straightforward and expected, right?  No; in fact, everything was fine until we got to the counter and Girlie suddenly changed her mind and said she didn’t want the book, and was beginning to raise her voice and on the verge of tears - I could tell she was getting worked up enough to lose whatever public composure she had.  We walked back to the shelf to replace the book, picked up the cards, the kids signed them, and we left.  When I asked Girlie what was going on she never gave me a clear answer – I still don’t know what happened.  Anyway, I re-explained the whole process; that if she didn’t want to use the kiosk she could give the book and card to a librarian, and any one of the employees are more than happy to answer her questions if she needs help.  We’ll see what happens next time.

We had a pretty tense morning on Christmas Eve because an express mail delivery came fairly early in the morning, setting the dogs all barking.  We don’t get many people coming to the door so hearing a stranger’s voice and the dogs barking was enough to set things off, I guess.  We walked to Grandma’s house and several cousins showed up at the same time, but we got through that better than expected and the rest of the day was relatively uneventful.

Now we’re in ‘vacation mode’ because Dearest took the whole week off.  I’m torn between feeling like I wish I had a cabin to myself for a few days, and really wanting to spend extra time with Dearest without the kids – neither of which is possible, but a girl can dream…  The most important thing is not to let anyone sleep in too long and keep sticking close to regular bedtimes, because Back-to-School-Tuesday will come before we know it.  It’s complicated, because Dearest and I both have things we want to do around the house since there is nothing scheduled and nowhere we have to be, and we tend to forget about such mundane things as mealtimes.

Staying in the usual routine as much as possible, even under what can be extreme circumstances surrounding a holiday or vacation, can be difficult.  Anything can set off a meltdown or anxiety, and there are no guarantees whether we can recover and get back on track, or have to push ‘reset’ on whatever we had planned.  This is what I mean by ‘keepin’ it real’.

I don't crochet very much any more, but it's fun to do a fast, simple project now and then.  I don’t know if we’ll get any of the real ‘white stuff’, so I’ll take what I can get - no shoveling required!  

Crocheted 'Snowflake No. 11' from Crocheted Snowflakes by Mary Thomas