Today kicked off Happy Family Time, which is to say that hubby has a few days off and it finally feels like Christmas. I had big plans for today - we were going to wake up late, have some waffles and bacon, and go out and let our combined bonuses buy us a replacement for our tv, which is 20" and has a weird permanent splash of orange in the bottom left corner. Possibly we were going to have a group nap, and we were definitely going to get the tree up and decorated before the 23rd of December for once in our lives.
Naturally that meant the toddler woke up early and crabby, we didn't get waffles OR bacon, and we didn't get anywhere close to leaving the house. Other than hubby, who fled the scene (ostensibly to borrow a saw to saw off the bottom off the Christmas tree, because I know we have one but do you think I can fucking find it?) when I bellowed at our whiny 2 year old, "WE. ARE. HAVING. HAPPY FAMILY TIME!"
Our group nap was interrupted by an unannounced visit from the inlaws, who brought brightly wrapped presents for our son and then told him he couldn't open them. Of course. Because toddlers totally get that, right?
Anyway. Somewhere around then I pulled my own head out of my ass and decided to just roll with the punches, and it didn't even have anything to do with alcohol. (Though it might have had something to do with flogging my MIL through a snowy field pulling a 40-lb toddler on the sled she brought him, because I was *ahem* too busy taking pictures to pull him myself. Warmed my heart to see her getting some exercise, I tell ya.) Happy Family Time did indeed turn into actual happy family time, and I even got some cookies baked.
And we got the tree up on the 20th. SCORE.
28 comments :
Awesome picture.
Yeah Happy Family Time!
my in-laws arrive wednesday. i'm skeered! amazing picture. what program, or edit, made that cool effect? take care.
I was tempted to say something rude just to see if the velociraptors would really come.
Yay for making the Mother in Law pull the kid. That's what they're for right?
Now. Go break out the eggnog. It'll help wash down the cookies. I swear.
We just had the worst bedtime ever with our 5 and 2 year olds. Happy family time never works out the way it's supposed to. At least your tree is up!
This makes me want to crawl under my covers and just sleep.
Uh HUH! The old, "Someone had to shoot the picture" excuse! lol!
The closest I got to that kind of cold was when I opened the carton of freezer burned ice cream. I still ate it..
That picture is thoroughly worth all the effort you forced your mother-in-law to endure.
Awesome picture. You blogs always make me chuckle!
Getting MIL to pull the sled. Well done, well done.
Okay, maybe I am still all doped up on the kumbaya of George C. Scott's The Christmas Carol, but I read your post and it got me to thinkiing. I would rather have the magic and mayhem of planned days all messed up by life's glitches with the people I love (and get incredibly annoyed with) than be one of those people alone and miserable because they have no connections to any other human being. I am just saying. Thank you for sharing your real life and the real holiday magic. :) Lisa
Yeah, sometimes its hard to get to making that "lemonade out of lemons." But finally I figured out that my expectations are better off left behind or not made at all.
Ha - I have had MANY Happy Family Times that may have taken a few years off my life. There does come that wall where you just either roll with it, or you get rolled over.
Expectations can really suck and ruin a perfectly good day!! Great MIL pic!! And congrats on getting your tree up!! I won't tell you that mine went up the first of November! Oops! Did I say that?
Hugs and Merry Christmas
SueAnn
I have a really hard time just "rolling with the punches". But I find that things normally work out best when I do. Someday I'll actually get it.
You'll cherish that photo the next time she comes to stay.
They didn't call? Gah...
Great job! Happy Happy Family Time!
Oh, wow. Not only did you get out of pulling the sled, but you made next years Christmas present for Grandma! Put that puppy in a frame and you're all set. Now that's multi-tasking.
So? Was it a big trick and now you have gifts from your MIL for you and Paul under the tree?
YAY for happy (effing) family time!! LOL! Great picture, by-the-by, look slike she did get a bit if exercise in!
~WM
Kids have no respect for plans, schedules, or happy family time. I am glad you made it through and came out on top.
I'm finding this years week of lead in to be much easier for the feeling of being "ready" :0
I am loving that story. Totally made my day. And, trust me, I needed it!
You're so nice. I would have just let the toddler open the presents when I "had my back turned for just a sec."
Happy Family Time...followed by Happy Rum Time? Vodka Time? Heehee.
Love this: "Of course. Because toddlers totally get that, right?"
Gotta love clueless in-laws.
Happy family time usually sucks the life out of me too. We've been having WAAAAAAAY too much of it here.
OMG, X on a sled is too cute! That pic is great.
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