flea

Yesterday we did errands and grocery and bought a Christmas tree and put it up and I made a batch of gingersnaps and baked half, and baked the rest of last weekend's speculaas and made pizza, and at that point we agreed we were too tired to go downtown and watch Santa rappell off of Macy's and set off a fireworks display.

Casper came down and got in our bed, and I went up and slept in hers. First I was awakened by mr. flea, coming to sleep in Casper's bed because he felt crowded in our bed (and assumed I was in it, on the other side of Casper, and was very startled to find me in her bed!). Then Dillo had to pee (he still has to be taken.) I was still awake and congratulating myself on getting him to the potty (because as annoying as taking a 5 year old down a flight of stairs to pee it still beats changing a bed) when there were shouts from downstairs and a pause, then mr. flea called up, "It's your responsibility." (He's poop; I'm vomit.)

Casper went from asleep to throwing up almost instantaneously, and got herself and almost everything on the bed (our bed, remember), and it was an unpleasant one even as these things go. mr. flea lumbered back up to her bed and I got her changed and set up in a nest on the living room floor and stripped the bed and started the laundry, and she couldn't sleep so I started a Nature about hummingbirds (which was beautiful and fascinating - their shoulders rotate, and their wings go in a figure 8 - oh the joys of slomo cameras!). She threw up 5-6 more times over the next 3 hours, although there was pretty much nothing to throw up. She is such a big girl; all apologetic and stoic.

When Dillo got up late for a weekend at 7:30 we were still exhausted, so mr. flea took him out to breakfast, and we watched a movie, and then they came back, and we watched a movie, and then the boys went out again to get different flea meds for the cats (have I mentioned we have been battling fleas pretty hard for 2 weeks now - through one dose of Frontline on both cats, and flea-bombing Casper's bedroom last weekend, neither of which seems to have taken. Casper is terribly flea-bitten, though the rest of us are not.) Casper and I napped, then we watched another movie. (I also did 8 loads of laundry, the dishes, baked the rest of the gingersnaps, which are for the student workers I am managing, and made lasagna.

Casper seems fine and ate lasagna for dinner; she's pale and tired but not sick. Now that I am working again, I hate to lose a weekend to such things. Christmas? What Christmas?

I go back to work tomorrow; the kids start school Wednesday.

They have written 3 thank-you notes with little fuss.  Casper's are somewhat routine but still decent, and Dillo writes his name and the name of the gift-giver (which I spell).  Dillo's writing is adorable - his es are backwards - and he has developed in figural drawing, too, with round eyes and smiles and bodies and limbs.  He still prefers drawing rockets to people.

We are almost finished with The Hobbit - read two chapters this noon in the sun on the porch, with the kids swinging in the hammock.  I'd like to finish tonight.  Dillo only partly follows, but likes to pretend he is little Bilbo with his sword Sting.

I didn't get much accomplished, and was stressed out by unstructured days in cold weather with the kids, but it was okay.

Tonight I'm making lasagna. I make a damn fine lasagna, if I say so myself.

Christmas we're going to do a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, since we didn't have Thanksgiving at home.  Need to discuss a dessert, but I think apple pie.  Breakfast will be Trader Joe's chocolate croissants and bacon, and clementines and pomegranates from the stockings.

It's Christmas Eve we haven't decided on.  Traditionally, I gather, one has fish, but we live inland and my kids are not big fish eaters.  I have a mess of kale, but pasta with white beans and kale is not really unusual enough for Christmas Eve (it's one of our staple dinners.)  Maybe I'll make kale chips from the kale and we can have an "appetizer dinner" - we have crackers and boursin cheese and some pate, and I can get Michael to pick up some hummus and maybe some other yummy appetizers if he goes to Trader Joe's tomorrow. (I am working tomorrow, and while we are in theory let go at 1pm or so, I don't like to count on such things.)

Other ideas? We did scallops and rice pilaf the last time we cooked on Christmas Eve, which was nice although the kids did not eat the scallops of course.

I don't do Yuletide; Actual Christmas has got enough bears for me.  Yesterday we managed to take a picture, send it to CVS, and pick up the resulting cards (viva les internets), and I addressed them all.  Now I must write thoughtful notes to the people I only talk to once a year at Christmas and mail them (including acquiring stamps).  I am waiting on a package to arrive, then need to turn around and mail a package out, I hope tomorrow morning early.  I pushed and got mr. flea to deal with his family's gifts on Saturday, so that is done.  We attended the neighborhood Christmas party and exchanged small gifts with our neighbors.  No more excess gifts cluttering up my kitchen counters.

The major issue is The Big Present for the kids.  We have not acquired it/them, nor decided what it/they is/are going to be.  And the "last day to buy!" emails I am getting this morning from all the big catalog/online shopping emporiums are not helping my stress levels.  And mr. flea took Dillo to Target Sunday to pick out a present for Casper and everything was so picked over they couldn't find what they wanted.  So I think we're going to run out to Toys R Us on our lunch hour today, and try to be done.  But I'm terrified we won't find anything.  The backup is Amazon with rush shipping this evening, if the toy store (and possibly Dick's sporting goods) don't work out.  Curse you, evil craigslist piano seller!  The down feeling of that is still hindering me in the picking of some other present.

Good things: We figured out how to video chat with mr. flea's sister, and the kids got to do that with their cousins, and it's easy (they are on macs as are we) and we can do it any time.  I also tested gmail video chat with my sister, although her bandwidth or processor on the netbook can't really hack it.  But we achieved proof of concept so Grandma can chat with the kids on Christmas.

We built amazing train bridges in the kitchen/dining room Sunday morning, and there was cooperation and creativity and fun.

I told the kids a version of the story in The Hobbit at bedtime Friday night, and we started reading it Saturday, and Casper ADORES it and begs for another chapter at odd moments.  We're five chapters in, and finished Riddles in the Dark last night (Dillo listens some but does not fully have the attention span or sophistication necessary; he fell asleep during a very tense scene!).  Casper was full of really probing and intelligent questions about Gollum and his background and history, and I explained some of the stuff we learn in LOTR, that's not covered in Hobbit.  You can keep your Harry Potter - The Hobbit beats it all hollow as far as being a good read imo.

This morning the kids are at the YMCA for the first of three "dynamic days."  This is Dillo's first time at the Y and he was not at all happy about the idea.  He was scared and was able to tell me he was scared.  His main concern seemed to be that he would have to be with the Chiefs and separated from his sister, but the dynamic days are small enough that they keep the ages all together.  So after a lot of crying I got him dressed and we arrived, and lovely Miss Jacquie who used to work at his school was greeting everyone, and she was wonderful, and they're going bowling today, and after only about 5 minutes he went off with Casper who was teaching him how to dribble a basketball.  So now my only big worry about the day is the possibility of him pooping in his pants, which is unfortunately quite likely, given that he did it several times yesterday.  He has a packed change of clothes, so whatever happens, happens.  Hopefully not in the swimming pool.

An 8:45 am phone call from the dentist, telling you your daughter has missed an appointment you didn't even know she had because your husband didn't put it on the calendar. Followed by: Girl Scouts work.

I am applying cee-lo green in an attempt to get the grump out of my system.

Do I have a plan for Christmas presents for my own children? I do NOT.

Dec. 23rd: Leave home 5pm. Minor rush hour traffic in ATL. Stop at Mickey D's for dinner and Happy Meals have no toys!! (Drive-thru, so we didn't realize.) Bypass Chattanooga, children fall asleep 8pm, drive until 9:30, 20 miles south of Knoxville, hotel room.

Dec. 24th: Leave hotel 8am. Stop so mr. flea can pee, Dillo can pee, mr. flea can get coffee and Dillo can pee. Possibly more stopping for peeing in there. Pee is going to be a theme of the trip, let me warn you now. Stop at Mickey D's for lunch and Happy Meals have toys! Ponder anatomy of Blue Cats from Avatar. Observe road cuts and explain very elementary geology. Bypass Lexington. See some horsies. Go down the hill into Cincinnati and ponder weird blue and white wing-shaped building, which we later determine is on the Covington side. Drive up 71, cut across to Washington Courthouse. Driver becomes loopy, children become bickery. On seeing old remnants of snow in field, Southern-born child exclaims, "Cotton fields!" Arrive at cousins' house. Cousinly joy ensues. Dillo is taught to Wii bowl. Adorableness ensues. Eat not very good homemade pizza with double-inlaws (15 people). Leave for hotel with Dillo at 8pm; mr. flea returns to house to settle Casper on cousin's floor. Later discover they fall asleep at 11:15.

Dec. 25th: Get to cousins' house at 7:30; stockings have been opened by kids. Presents, phase 1, ensue. Casper very chuffed with American Girl and Dillo cleans up generally; Uncle Nate has been an especially good gifter. Breakfast, 15 people. Presents, phase OMG is this still going on. Long lassitude of day and unhappiness by me; Nerf gun shooting Wii by cousin. Dinner, with 17 people including evil Uncle Bobby (double-inlaw). Finally escape by 8:30 or so to put Dillo to bed. Casper again sleeps on floor and mr. flea stays up late talking to his parents.

Dec. 26th: Run up to Columbus to COSI in caravan of 3 cars (10 people), meet old college friend and tattoo compatriot E (hi E!), her husband, her mother, and 5 year old C and 10 month old H. COSI awesome, everyone happy. E has to leave ca. 1pm, we eat lunch at COSI, Casper totally melts dpown due to exhaustion and has to be carried to car. We take off for hotel and naps (which don't happen) and baths which do. Return to cousins' at 5, make lasagna, assemble gingerbread house, surviving sugar glue failure. Frost cookies with various family, a success. Eat lasagna, moderate success; eat cookies and gingerbread house, great success. This day definitely more festive than the previous one. Leave ca. 9pm to put Dillo to bed.

Dec. 27th: Final photos and goodbyes with cousins, leave 10am for Cincinnati. Meet old grad school friends for brunch and marvel at the awesomeness of Joseph-Beth bookstore in Rookwood. Go to father's at 2pm, play a little Wii with brother and his wife, kids open more nice presents (books/puzzles/Magic schoolbus and movies). It starts to snow and kids spend several stints outside very excited. mr. flea has nap. Dinner & we leave ca. 7:30 into blowing snow. Stop and get windshield wiper fluid (and for Dillo to pee, natch) and drive until 11:30pm. by which time we are south of snow. Dillo has peed in car seat in sleep. Joy. Hotel room.

Dec. 28th: leave hotel room by 9am, avoid traffic, good weather, much bickering and crankiness especially caused by bored Dillo making fights, under-caffeinated and under-fed me yelling a lot, and GIS unit lying and telling us there was a Starbucks where there was most definitely not (on a residential street in rural KY). Get home at 2pm. Sedate children with television.

The end. Dillo has been so backslidey on the potty that I am seriously considering returning him to diapers for a punishment.

I am all set for Casper presents. In ten minutes, I'll know if I've gotten her another (ebay in progress).

I got nothin' for Dillo. What does a 3 year old boy want? Part of the problem is we have a lot of good toys handed down from Casper. Blocks, duplo, all covered. He has a big wheel and he's too little for a bike (and he'll get Casper's when he's big enough). He doesn't need clothes, or care about them much. I mean, I'd like to buy him fancy underpants, but he won't give a damn about them. Hot wheels and bakugan are stocking sort of presents, but the Big Gift.

I don't even have a big special book for him - I've already gotten all my favorite books appropriate for a 3 year old. (I have The Secret Garden for Casper.)

Second kid is hard! Halp!

[Casper]'s wish list

-Bunny [They went to the pet store to buy cat food while I grocery shopped.]
-Doll hous mansion.
-My baby first steps. [This is apparently a Wii game.]
-A flat Screen TV.

Yeah, not so much. Though I am starting to fantasize about a second TV, so I can veg and watch football while they veg and watch Spongebob. But that way lies cable and a TV in every room.

Casper is actually getting American Girl Doll Julie (1974, with looong blonde hair and brown eyes.)

I am off to work shortly and GLAD. The kids have been bickering like mad all weekend (including hitting each other), Casper cries when yelled at (for doing things like grabbing things out of her brother's hand) and Dillo seems to have been on a mission to poop or pee in every single pair of underpants he owns.

12/23
quesadillas (what? I worked today; they are quick and easy)
make dough for gingerbread house (note to self: call mr. flea and ask him to get 2 sticks of butter out of the freezer)
finish baking ginger snaps (estimate 4-6 dozen left)
finish frosting speculaas

12/24
make gingerbread house (3 steps: cutting and baking of pieces, assembly with melted sugar, decoration)
prep boeuf Bourguignon (lardons, brown meat, bouquet garni, wine) (note: procure celery)
dinner: salad, rice pilaf, scallops? (note: procure scallops, procure a pomegranate for the salad and delectation of the children)

12/25
breakfast: poppin' fresh dough cinnamon rolls, bacon, mimosas (note: procure champagne, preferably those tiny bottles that come in 3-packs).
finish cooking boeuf bourguignon (pearl onions, mushrooms)
feast: boeuf bourguignon, salad, egg noddles, ?apple pie with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream, ?chocolate cake, gingerbread house (note: procure apples for pie, make pie crust, procure chocolate cake, depending on choice)

12/26
make spitzbuben
latke feast (plain and sweet potato)

Things needed:
champagne
celery
scallops or other suitable replacement
pomegranate
apples for pie?
chocolate cake? (Big City Bread)
bread (if at Big City anyway)
kahlua or Baileys or somesuch (if hitting package store)

Non-food items that should be procured before Xmas:
stocking stuffers for me, Dillo, 1 thing for mr. flea (maybe cut out of work early today and hit downtown?)

Oh, and get this: I currently am receiving 1 present. Which I wrapped for myself last night (it is from my inlaws.) (A package that may come today presumably has a second). Neither my mother nor my husband has got me a Christmas present (yet).