We Survived!

It is finally the evening of Christmas in the Murray home, and all is quiet.... I and my family have survived the holiday season intact, and just barely swerved out of the way of a nervous breakdown. I have been looking forward to just this moment in time when I am not at work and all of the gatherings and gifts and stress are behind me. This is the best moment of Christmas. The moment when you can sit down, breath a sigh of relief, and wrap yourself up in the warmth of the memories made with loved ones.

Surprisingly, (not) I have no pictures yet, but they may come. Like next year sometime after I post last years. I can't keep too high of expectations for myself about stuff like that or I'll just feel like a depressed failure and bag the whole thing entirely.

The girls all got Nintendo DS's for Christmas which has proved to be an amazing blessing for us, and is what allows me to be sitting here right now typing this. Because I have my laptop to myself. With nobody lurking around asking for "their turn". As if I have an obligation to share! Since they haven't had their own systems, they have become addicted to several internet game sites like barbie.com, webkinz, and some mooshi thing. The other night Jack and I crashed into bed around eleven and left the girls to a movie since it's Christmas break. At some point I woke up to Doodles turning on my bathroom light and digging around my night stand while singing to herself. I'm dazed and looking around trying to figure out what the heck time it was, and Jack's looking at his phone grumbling about it being three in the morning!

Me: Doodles, what the heck are you doing????

Doodles: Looking for my ni-night panties. hmm.. hmm, la, la...

Me: Did you wet the bed or something? Gah!

Doodles: No! I go to bed now! I was playing on the 'puter. (pronounced- pewter)

I cannot believe the little turd stayed up all frickin' night playing frickin' computer games! I'd like to blame that on someone else, but I'm sure that one is a genetic trait somehow linked to me. Whoops.

Then I have Miss. Syd who is the Queen of Random Thoughts. This one came out of nowhere and made me realize what a deep thinker she is for her young age. She's my sensitive one for sure. I had worked late and then had to run errands and to get ingredients for some holiday baking and while I was putting away stuff Sydney was hanging around.

Sydney: Mom. Can I talk to you?

Me: Sure! (please don't ask where babies come from, please don't ask....)

Sydney: Did you get to say "goodbye" to your mom?

I could not believe that was what she wanted to talk about. I hadn't even really thought about it quite like that myself. It made me just stop in my tracks. No, I didn't. Not really. I said the goodbye that means "see ya later" but not the goodbye that really means "goodbye". This was the perfect time to explain to her that sometimes you don't know when your goodbye will be forever which is why you always need to treat and speak to everyone like it might be the last time. I tried to keep that conversation near to my heart during these last couple of days, through all the family gatherings, and be grateful for the chaos and fatigue that comes with this time of year because I couldn't be more grateful for the family and the many blessings that I have. To my family and friends- I love you and hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas!

Add-On To Previous...

So I was talking to my sister-in-law Abby the other night and she was expressing her disappointment that I left out what she thought was the best part of this story. I realize that I told two stories in that post, so I am specifically referring to the one involving duct. tape. Just for Abby I will tell the rest of the sordid tale....

So later after we got ourselves together, survived the Murray Family Christmas Gathering, tree shopping, and a 2-year old's birthday party, we were finally home relaxing with Jack's brother, Abby and their two boys, Chase-8 and Cole-5. The kids were all playing well except for....... *drum roll please*....... wait for it............. you'll never guess!!!! DOODLES!!! Never saw that coming eh? Anyhoo, I'm not really sure what was going on but she was being a pest and Jack was in the midst of something, I don't know what, but he was on a mission. All we hear is Doodles being loud and obnoxious and Jack calling from the upstairs for... duct. tape. I guess the reason that this would be hilarious is because we were all pretty convinced that his mission may have been to use it on Doodles. I joked nervously like, "Yeah, yeah, you could be right. He's probably taping her to the wall as we speak!" The kids giggled in a hushed sort of way, but kept looking around at each other like they were waiting to see if it was really a joke because well, really we all know that she has a way of pushing you just past that line in the sand. The one that divides the Land of the Sane and the opposite, The Land Where Amber Resides. Needless to say, he avoided the temptation, but the wondering if she would be coming back down with him or not was way too much fun!

Doodles

One would never know it based solely on this picture, that this child could be the most devilish of my brood. The problem is that she is so darn cute! It's those eyes, and the "I love you too, Mom!" as she runs up the stairs to piss off her sisters that keeps her alive. I don't even have to say "I love you" to get that response. That's what is so dang adorable about it! She adds the "too" whether I say it first or not. At least her cuteness may save her from mine and Jack's wrath, but Mel and Syd may be a different story. I'm pretty sure it's a matter of time before she gets shanked. They have been giving her everything she wants since she was born just to shut her up, but I sense years of bitterness boiling close to the edge, and I fear for that wee devil! What is it they say about reaping what you sow?

Me: cleaning and putzing in kitchen...

Doodles: Kyle is a Douche Bag.

Me: heading upstairs to beat hell out of Jack

You May Want To Play Poker With Jack....

If you want to be a winner at any real power play games, i.e. poker, you may want Jack as your opponent. He has a gift for just showing his hand with little to no coersion. I've always known that he wasn't a master manipulator which is something that I truly appreciate, but I am so much more appreciative that he just blows out the punchline without me even asking!

For example, tonight I'm cuddled under the covers looking at him complaining how cold and bone tired I am and that the kitchen was a total disaster. And here's the punchline.... "Well you know if you leave it long enough that I'll just do it myself." I had no response other than my wide eyed look of shock. Plus I was too busy listening to the angels singing a joyous ditty in my head. Just when I think my day was total $hit, my husband hands me a gem of an epiphany. Full house baby!

The Things Wee People Say...

People judge you every day. They judge you by your appearance, the car you drive, where you live, and I hope, against all hope that they don't judge me by the things that come out of the mouths of my children. Sometimes the things they say make me raise my eyebrows and my mouth to form a perfectly surprised "O".

Please don't judge me for the tales I'm about to share. I only share them because I know (hope) that someday my children will read this and know what they did to me. I don't feel that they will truly appreciate it though until they have children of their own to give them the same kind of love (aggravation) that I have experienced.

I am forever lecturing Jack about the things he says to/around the children. They are impressionable you know? One of his favorite names to call people on his list of "Individuals Too Stupid To Live", (which is most everyone in his opinion) is Douche Bag. Just the word on its own probably leads you to imagine any number of situations, but the real story is more inappropriate/hilarious/embarrassing than I would have ever imagined!

The Setting: Jack, I, and the girls were at a local Blockbuster looking along the new release wall with my brother and his wife. The girls were frolicking around and there were a few other people milling about.

Me: Where the heck did Sydney wander off to?

Jack: I don't know... Mel! Go find your sister!

Sydney: I'm back here Douche Bag!!!!

Group: Stunned silence followed by muffled snickers from loitering strangers.

She did not say it in a conversational tone, no, she. yelled. it. It was one of those situations where I didn't address the child with my wrath, but immediately turned my flame throwing gaze to my dear husband saying, "You did this!"

The other day we were hustling to get ready for Jack's family Christmas event and I was trying to do Melanie's hair to the tune of Doodles screaming at the top of her lungs over anything and everything that went wrong with her world. Randomly, Mel walked away while I reached for something. Totally annoyed I yell for her to get her a$$ back in there so we could get going! I get no response, so I yell for her again! Ready to go on a killing spree, I turn around and she comes back all nonchalant without an explanation like she hadn't been screwing around while I waited for her with a flatiron. As I grab a piece of her hair and get back to work, I look over and Doodles is standing there with tears welled up in her eyes and a large piece of duct tape across her mouth. Yes, duct tape. Mel says nothing and stands there ignoring the situation like no big.

Me: Uh, Mel, ummm.... Do you really think that taping her mouth shut was the best idea?

Mel: Oh she's fine. It's just duct tape.

Doodles promptly ran downstairs to Jack who coddled her and acted appropriately ashamed of the situation. Had I done something that fun and diabolical to my brother as a kid, I would have been snorting and stifling giggles behind my hand, but my child just sits there bland like "what?" I don't know if I shoulda hi-fived her or fretted about her moral compass. I lean toward the hi-five, but then I don't know if my moral compass points due north either because if I'm being honest with myself, deep down, I wish that I had the courage to tape her mouth shut more often!