A pads in at some early hour and crawls into bed.
A: “Mommy?”
Chichimama: “Ungh?”
A: “Do you remember the time C wasn’t behaving and you yelled at him?”
Chichimama: “Ungh.”
A: “You weren’t yelling at me…”
Chichimama: (rousing herself enough to respond appropriately) “Ungh. Sometimes you don’t behave either.”
A: “Yeah, I get mixed up sometimes. But that’s OK, I’m still little and cute.”
Chichimama: “Ungh.”
C: “Great news Mom! It is so exciting!!!!”
Chichimama: “Really???? What!?!”
C: “The school nurse is coming tomorrow to check us for lice! Isn’t that great?!”
Chichimama: “Fab. Just what I need, lice AND fleas. Now I’m twice as itchy.”
Fleas. On the upside, the mysterious bumps all over my legs that Dr. Google had me convinced was some horrific auto-immune disease are suddenly much less concerning.
Sometimes I’m not really sure that pet ownership is worth all the headaches.
I have had my cards since mid-October. But yet, I still have no picture. And yet again, my cards will end up going out on December 23rd. Gah. On the upside, the outtakes are hysterical. If only they didn’t feature my children, I would post them to amuse you all.
So much for planning ahead.
A and I are sitting at Starbucks having a lovely juice/coffee and pumpkin loaf. It is snowing outside. There is holiday music playing. I have no pressing anything hanging over my head. At the table next to us, two women are having a pow-wow about how to best proceed with a school fundraiser. They are clearly headed down the wrong path. I contemplate saying something, and then take another bit of the pumpkin loaf. Yumm, pumpkin loaf.
They continue to bicker over what is clearly a bad idea. I sip my coffee. Not my problem. Not going to get involved. Not even my kid’s school. Yumm, coffee. OK, these woman are going to serious regret what they are about to do. I did that, last year. It so didn’t work. It was a flipping nightmare, in fact. It is my moral duty to step in and say something. I cannot let another human being suffer the way I did last year.
I turn to say something, and then I hear a voice inside my head, that sounds remarkably like Lovely Friend’s. “DON’T YOU DARE GET INVOLVED. YOU ARE CERTIFIABLE IF YOU GET INVOLVED.” And so I walk out the door, sipping my coffee.
But I still feel guilty.
At dinner tonight…
C’s friend: “Raise your hand if you celebrate Christmas!” C’s hand goes up.
C’s friend: “Raise your hand if you celebrate Hanukkah!” C’ s hand goes up again.
Chichimama: “Um, C? You’re Episcopalian.”
C: “But we celebrate it every year at Julia’s house and just because she is in London, I’m not going to to forget that I celebrate Hanukkah with her. And Passover. I love celebrating with Julia. I love her holidays because I love her.”
Chichimama wipes away a tear and then calculates that Rebecca is probably fast asleep and we can’t start planning the wedding right that very instant…
When I got home from dropping off C at school this morning, there was a message on my answering machine from the chair of a committee I am on. “Could you give me a call back when you get a chance? I need to discuss something with you.” So, of course, my brain goes into overdrive, trying to figure out what she needed to discuss.
Did I say something inadvertent to offend her? Did I do something wrong? Am I being released from the committee (Hmm, that might not be so bad, really…). Every time my phone rang, I nervously jumped for it, wondering if it was her and mentally steeling myself for the worst.
Turns out, SHE had receieved an email from HER “boss” who was less than thrilled with something she had done, and she wanted my advice on how to handle it, because I am apparently “so good at these political things.” Really??? You could have fooled me…
When am I going to stop assuming the worst? And more importantly, how do I keep my kids from inheriting this trait, or is it too late???
So I am building the ultimate holiday tune list. What are your favorites? Currently I’m blaring “All I Want for Christmas is You” but I can’t decide whose version I like the best. This particular version isn’t it though. Once I get the list built, I’ll share it with you.
Ah, now up is Paul McCarthy, “Wonderful Christmastime.” Life is good…
5am: Meow! I’m hungry! Meow! Meow! Hee, hee, hee. I got her out of bed even though there is food in my bowl.
5:30am: Meow! Meow! Hee, hee, hee, I got her out of bed again. Why did I get her out of bed? Hmm. I think I will lie down right here and take a snooze while I think it over.
6:10am: I remember! Meow! Meow! Let me out! Meow! Meow!
6:11am: What IS that outside! OMG! It is cold and white! Meow! Meow! Let me IN!
6:12am: Clearly the front door is not the way out today. I will get her to let me out the back door.
6:13am: OMG! The white cold stuff is out there too! Meow! Meow! Let me IN!
6:14am: What about the side door? NO! The garage door? NO! Meow!!! Meow!!!!
6:15am: Where IS that litter box? Ewww. She needs to clean it. Now. Meow!!! Meow!!!!
6:17am: Hmm. I wonder if the white stuff is gone from the front. NOOOO! Meow! Meow!!!!
6:20am: I guess I am just going to take another nap. But what does she think she is doing??? The lights are on now, and she isn’t headed back to bed. But I wanted to nap! And it is bright and loud and OMG the kids are up!!!!
6:21am: Ahh, under the bed. Nice and quiet and warm. I never should have gotten up this morning.
My feet hurt. I have been on my feet since 6 am this morning, and it is 11:55pm. I am now going to bed. Santa has been dispatched off to the North Pole; I have been officially excused from church tomorrow morning, and I am heading to bed. Ah, bed, how I love you so.
Coming next week, a return to the usual dribble at life at Chez J-E. Because I seem to be (almost) commitment free until March 1st. And tomorrow, you may even get pictures of the house decorated for Christmas. Or not. Depending on how my feet are doing.
Ow.
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