Holiday Wrap Up

When treats get left alone

Christmas is officially done and celebrated- all twenty times. OK, so maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration- but it feels like it has been pretty never ending!

1/20 of my baking efforts

NOT a Santa fan

We started off with an early Christmas at GrandPauls and Grandma Ginas. Vienna puppy even got to partake in festivities there, and Caden got to enjoy his cousin Charlie- who is still larger than him! Upon opening his GINORMOUS Tonka truck, he proceeded to push her around in it. I am pretty sure if you look up adorable in the dictionary- the picture has been replaced with the two of them.

Caden & Charlotte <3

My brother Jake and his current girlfriend was there. I am glad that his current girlfriend and his ex get along, I am hopeful that his girlfriends current college goals and enrollment prevent anymore nieces or nephews for me!!

In other news- Christmas Eve- grandpaul got ENGAGED! I knew about it the Sunday before, he asked me just to "smack him, yell at him, or tell him he was crazy"- I gave him the go ahead, and informed him that of all the significant others that have come and gone she is probably one of the ones I accept and like the most :)

Caden and Charlie also got matching rocking chairs, which they wanted to push and climb on rather than sit in- typical- but still beyond cute. My dad, as always, went overboard and I got part of a freezer (and some lottery tickets to attempt to get the other part), coffee cups for my cocoa and some pans with LIDS! Caden also got spoiled, being the favorite (and only) grandson. All in all, it was a wonderful family day. I wish we could have stayed longer, but a work dinner was calling our names, and daddy was getting called- so we hurried home.

The next day we did my family's annual holiday get-together complete with a new tradition of White Elephant- "THE GIFT" this year was the box of China goodies my dad provided, we ended up with some random stuff from my cousin and a duffel bag. Christmas day we opened gifts at home- Caden didn't do much. He played with the seat of his Mickey Mouse potty and chewed on his squishy light up toys.

Once his ball pit was inflated it was game over, the kid was in LOVE. Daddy suggested getting it for him, which surprised him- daddy is a neat freak (to the n-th degree), he hates clutter, and is constantly complaining about the kid toys- so somthing that combines all that OCD-overload into one giant Mickey-Mouse sized mass seemed out of his realm of suggestiveness, so I let him go. I'll see how long it lasts!

We loaded up the car to go to gram Betty's house (grandma K-K as my father calls her, since she refers to Caden as K-K on occassion and it is a very BIG pet-peeve), and the second we pull out- daddy gets called to work. So Caden and I make the venture solo.

We spent time with grandma KK, Gerkin James and Uncle T, spread some holiday cheer and cold hands and got to open more gifts than we knew what to do with! Daddy made a brief appearance and then I had to head to my grandmothers house. Daddy switched all of my hard packed gifts into my car from the truck, because in his words "he just washed it (the truck)," and didn't want me to travel with it to my grandma's. So off to grandmothers house we went and daddy visited his mom a bit and then went on another call.

I have to admit that it is getting rather old:1. Being late to my family events because I am waiting for daddy, and 2. explaining to my family why daddy is absent. My aunt, uncle and cousins were there and they had fun attempting to keep Caden occupied while we got food ready. My two cousins thoroughly enjoyed opening gifts, and while I do not want to rush Cadens childhood, I am very excited for the age when he gets that happy about Christmas and gifts! I got my aunt and my cousin matching Swim & Swim Mom shirts and sweat pants- in sparkling pink- my aunt is the anti-pink, so she of course gave birth to the most glittery pink little girl!

Caden was, again, spoiled. Christmas was lumped with his birthday this year, something my grandmother HATES to do (since my mother has a birthday in January she made it a point to separate holidays & birthdays)- but for this year we made an exception. He got a ton of Cars and Planes Legos and Disney Little People sets, mommy got clothes, boots (insert incredibly happy faced mommy here) and puzzles. I wish I had more time to spend with my family- I wish I had more time in general.

Caden & Gramma Shells favorite grandchild Miss Lily-Kins

After the official holiday ended, we celebrated with my mother the Saturday after Christmas, we ate an hour after we were supposed to and there was a little drama ahead of time involving my (and her) godmother. But we opened, we ate, we drank a little and then we headed home about the time things started getting heated over her stepchildren.

My little man and his new haircut

So as the new year approaches, I look back and I know that I have to make some changes, for me and for my family. I was told that if something doesn't make you happy, then get rid of it or change it- life is too short. This year- my son became a tubie graduate, he started walking, I got a new job, I managed to find a helping hand in my post pardum depression and I discovered that now more than ever my true family is not the people that I share blood with. Sometimes what you need to do isn't the easiest thing, sometimes it isn't what people expect, sometimes it isn't what society accepts- but you have to live for YOU.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference