Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tradition
It’s snowing and I’m excited. I love the snow, especially when it comes as we are preparing for Christmas. I’m keeping a few (Christmas) secrets and the snow, crisp air and that Christmas-type feeling make it just a little bit easier to hold out. I’m the type of person that wants to tell you everything. If I know something, I want to share it! Today is not the day though; the day will be Christmas. Friends and families will share the secrets and surprises they’ve kept over the last month or two while their children run around pink-cheeked and excited with the anticipation of opening their gifts.
This is how it always was for me growing up and is probably why I’m still such a sucker for Christmas today. The excitement would start weeks in advance, and by the time Christmas Eve would come along, I could hardly wait to get to my Gramma’s house where we celebrated Polish Wigilia . We always went early and stayed late, spending the entire day talking and laughing, my brothers and I playing Husker Du with our cousins, and the adults laughing and having a good time in the living room and kitchen in to the wee hours of the morning. There was always more food than all of us could eat, whether it was my mother having made pirogies and mushroom soup, or the later years where we just had roast beef and mashed potatoes. I still remember the year we all went out to dinner instead of going to Gramma’s (HEY! Where ya going with that cake?!). I think we all kind of felt cheated out of our Christmas Eve experience, and we never did it again.
Christmas Day was no different; my brother(s) and I waking up at the crack of dawn to see what was left for us under the tree. We were never disappointed. A long running family joke is my mother saying “Christmas won’t be overly spectacular this year….” because no matter what it always was. Christmas evening was spent with my other set of grandparents, on my dad’s side, along with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. My grandparents were always good for getting us exactly what was on our lists. There was a telescope for me one year, which I used to look at the moon, and another year, when I was in 7th or 8th grade I got my 1st real camera. It was a special gift for me because I shared my grandfather’s passion for taking photos of everyone and everything. In addition to our regular gifts, my grandfather would always give each of us kids an envelope full of cash. $10 when we were younger, much more as we got older. Again though, we stayed late in to the evening, talking, playing and laughing.
Christmas is much different now. For one, all of my grandparents have passed on. For another, the majority of my cousins and I have married, had our own families, and have started our own traditions. We still gather with my mother’s family; usually the Saturday before Christmas, and we have as good of a time as we ever did. The last 2 years have been hard, without my grandmother, who lived for this particular type of gathering—all of the food, family and fun you could ever want, but we’ve done it and we’ve had a great time. This year, our gathering on 12/15, will be extra special because it will include my cousin Bee’s daughter, Jordyn, for the very first time.
Ed and I spend Christmas Eve with his father’s family, another tradition that has been shaken by the death of his favorite uncle 2 years ago on Thanksgiving. Seeing the children, mine and Ed’s cousin’s, together and having a great time though makes it more than worth it. There’s doing shots of Crown with Greg too……(That’s not going to happen this year---I went home and still had to wrap gifts last year and I was wrecked)
Christmas morning has been spectacular for us since the kids came along. Ed and I get up early with the kids and open gifts. Later in the morning, my parents, brothers and SIL along with Ed’s mom and brother come over for a big breakfast and we all open gifts together. The kids, of course, are spoiled, and have a wonderful time. As the afternoon approaches, we head to my uncle’s house and spend the evening with my dad’s family. My cousins and their children trickle in and out as we have dinner and dessert and watch my younger cousins open their gifts.
I think that the point of all of this is that the more traditions change, the more they stay the same. We do all have our own lives now, but it is important to remember where tradition came from, and to keep it going in one form or another for as long as we can. I want my children to have the same fond memories I have of Christmas through the years, and keep them going for their own children……but in their own way.
This is how it always was for me growing up and is probably why I’m still such a sucker for Christmas today. The excitement would start weeks in advance, and by the time Christmas Eve would come along, I could hardly wait to get to my Gramma’s house where we celebrated Polish Wigilia . We always went early and stayed late, spending the entire day talking and laughing, my brothers and I playing Husker Du with our cousins, and the adults laughing and having a good time in the living room and kitchen in to the wee hours of the morning. There was always more food than all of us could eat, whether it was my mother having made pirogies and mushroom soup, or the later years where we just had roast beef and mashed potatoes. I still remember the year we all went out to dinner instead of going to Gramma’s (HEY! Where ya going with that cake?!). I think we all kind of felt cheated out of our Christmas Eve experience, and we never did it again.
Christmas Day was no different; my brother(s) and I waking up at the crack of dawn to see what was left for us under the tree. We were never disappointed. A long running family joke is my mother saying “Christmas won’t be overly spectacular this year….” because no matter what it always was. Christmas evening was spent with my other set of grandparents, on my dad’s side, along with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. My grandparents were always good for getting us exactly what was on our lists. There was a telescope for me one year, which I used to look at the moon, and another year, when I was in 7th or 8th grade I got my 1st real camera. It was a special gift for me because I shared my grandfather’s passion for taking photos of everyone and everything. In addition to our regular gifts, my grandfather would always give each of us kids an envelope full of cash. $10 when we were younger, much more as we got older. Again though, we stayed late in to the evening, talking, playing and laughing.
Christmas is much different now. For one, all of my grandparents have passed on. For another, the majority of my cousins and I have married, had our own families, and have started our own traditions. We still gather with my mother’s family; usually the Saturday before Christmas, and we have as good of a time as we ever did. The last 2 years have been hard, without my grandmother, who lived for this particular type of gathering—all of the food, family and fun you could ever want, but we’ve done it and we’ve had a great time. This year, our gathering on 12/15, will be extra special because it will include my cousin Bee’s daughter, Jordyn, for the very first time.
Ed and I spend Christmas Eve with his father’s family, another tradition that has been shaken by the death of his favorite uncle 2 years ago on Thanksgiving. Seeing the children, mine and Ed’s cousin’s, together and having a great time though makes it more than worth it. There’s doing shots of Crown with Greg too……(That’s not going to happen this year---I went home and still had to wrap gifts last year and I was wrecked)
Christmas morning has been spectacular for us since the kids came along. Ed and I get up early with the kids and open gifts. Later in the morning, my parents, brothers and SIL along with Ed’s mom and brother come over for a big breakfast and we all open gifts together. The kids, of course, are spoiled, and have a wonderful time. As the afternoon approaches, we head to my uncle’s house and spend the evening with my dad’s family. My cousins and their children trickle in and out as we have dinner and dessert and watch my younger cousins open their gifts.
I think that the point of all of this is that the more traditions change, the more they stay the same. We do all have our own lives now, but it is important to remember where tradition came from, and to keep it going in one form or another for as long as we can. I want my children to have the same fond memories I have of Christmas through the years, and keep them going for their own children……but in their own way.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Golden Goodness
Ed and I never fight about anything that is consequential. I mean it. We bicker about anything and everything, but when it comes to fighting, it is never about anything that matters. Shall we take today for example? Today we fought about Golden Grahams. Really. Golden Grahams.
When we were going to bed last night, he had asked whether there was any good cereal in the basement. I told him that we had Golden Grahams and he was pleased. This morning I went downstairs to get my work clothes and pop tarts for the kids’ breakfast and seeing them on the shelf, I also grabbed the Golden Grahams.
I went about my regular routine, fed and dressed the kids, and got ready for work. On my way out the door, I casually called out “Hey, I brought up that cereal for you.” For whatever reason, this upset him. Why did I have to say something in front of the kids? Now they will want to eat them. I should have just left them in the basement and he would have gotten them. Of course I have to make some pissy remark like “because you need to eat the whole box??” Finally, I yell “What is your problem!!!!” and he yells the same back at me, to which I reply “STOP YELLING AT ME!!” and he says “NO!”
At this, I go and kiss the kids goodbye and leave in a huff.
How does a situation like this resolve itself, you might ask. It’s really quite simple. Pretend it never happened.
We didn’t talk until almost noon today. He called me to test out the quality of our new phone. Neither of us mentioned the squabble. As I said, it was inconsequential; over before it started really.
When it comes down to the big things, we talk. And talk. And talk some more until everything works out. This is how we function as a couple, and we function well.
Unless it’s about cereal……
When we were going to bed last night, he had asked whether there was any good cereal in the basement. I told him that we had Golden Grahams and he was pleased. This morning I went downstairs to get my work clothes and pop tarts for the kids’ breakfast and seeing them on the shelf, I also grabbed the Golden Grahams.
I went about my regular routine, fed and dressed the kids, and got ready for work. On my way out the door, I casually called out “Hey, I brought up that cereal for you.” For whatever reason, this upset him. Why did I have to say something in front of the kids? Now they will want to eat them. I should have just left them in the basement and he would have gotten them. Of course I have to make some pissy remark like “because you need to eat the whole box??” Finally, I yell “What is your problem!!!!” and he yells the same back at me, to which I reply “STOP YELLING AT ME!!” and he says “NO!”
At this, I go and kiss the kids goodbye and leave in a huff.
How does a situation like this resolve itself, you might ask. It’s really quite simple. Pretend it never happened.
We didn’t talk until almost noon today. He called me to test out the quality of our new phone. Neither of us mentioned the squabble. As I said, it was inconsequential; over before it started really.
When it comes down to the big things, we talk. And talk. And talk some more until everything works out. This is how we function as a couple, and we function well.
Unless it’s about cereal……
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Today like totally sucks man....
1. Do yourself a favor, go out to Starbucks and get yourself a peppermint mocha. TODAY!! Grab a cranberry scone while you’re at it….they’re delicious!
2. Today is one of those days. You know the kind. Where I just want to scream “WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!!!” at everyone.
3. This was somewhat remedied by a lunchtime trip to Target---They finally had boots in the kid’s sizes. FINALLY. I also bought 5 picture frames. I think I could live at Target. There is a Starbucks inside.
4. Did I mention Ed and I have been cataloguing all of our photos? There’s some funny fricken stuff in there! I have many things in my “to scan” pile.
5. Speaking of fricken, I need to stop saying fricken. Eddie keeps calling people fricken crybabies. He also says “son of a project!!” and I have no idea where that came from.
6. And speaking of Eddie saying funny things…. On our way to my cousins the other night, after Eddie and Caitlyn played with their baby cousin on Thanksgiving, Eddie said to me “so when you have 2 more babies mommy, how many of us will there be?” We probed him on it. “When you have 2 more boy babies. Caitlyn wants to be a big sister.” Oy Vey!
7. Eddie, Caitlyn and I pretended that we were camping last night and told stories in my bed and all went to sleep together. Sounds perfect, right? It was miserable. There were children bouncing off of the walls, screaming and not much sleeping. At one point, Eddie got up out of bed and said he was sleeping in his own bed and was walking around the whole house in the dark. Finally, after much wrangling and a bit of hollering, everyone was asleep before 9:30.
8. I have no idea what we are having for dinner tonight. I meant to put some chicken in the crock pot this morning and never did.
9. My hair is so long right now. I think I like it.
10. Still sipping my mocha. Hopefully today will be smooth sailing from here.
2. Today is one of those days. You know the kind. Where I just want to scream “WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!!!” at everyone.
3. This was somewhat remedied by a lunchtime trip to Target---They finally had boots in the kid’s sizes. FINALLY. I also bought 5 picture frames. I think I could live at Target. There is a Starbucks inside.
4. Did I mention Ed and I have been cataloguing all of our photos? There’s some funny fricken stuff in there! I have many things in my “to scan” pile.
5. Speaking of fricken, I need to stop saying fricken. Eddie keeps calling people fricken crybabies. He also says “son of a project!!” and I have no idea where that came from.
6. And speaking of Eddie saying funny things…. On our way to my cousins the other night, after Eddie and Caitlyn played with their baby cousin on Thanksgiving, Eddie said to me “so when you have 2 more babies mommy, how many of us will there be?” We probed him on it. “When you have 2 more boy babies. Caitlyn wants to be a big sister.” Oy Vey!
7. Eddie, Caitlyn and I pretended that we were camping last night and told stories in my bed and all went to sleep together. Sounds perfect, right? It was miserable. There were children bouncing off of the walls, screaming and not much sleeping. At one point, Eddie got up out of bed and said he was sleeping in his own bed and was walking around the whole house in the dark. Finally, after much wrangling and a bit of hollering, everyone was asleep before 9:30.
8. I have no idea what we are having for dinner tonight. I meant to put some chicken in the crock pot this morning and never did.
9. My hair is so long right now. I think I like it.
10. Still sipping my mocha. Hopefully today will be smooth sailing from here.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
H M M M M M . . . . .
Well, Shannon tagged me for this MEME and I am super bored just trying to finish my shift at work, so here it goes. Things that make me suspicious, or in Shannon’s words,
Thanks that make me go hmmm….
• The properties of gelatin. Things that congeal totally freak me out. Like spam. Or that fat layer on top of the gravy when it cools.
• Obviously, children who are much too quiet.
• The fact that my local radio station is playing reggae music every morning when my alarm goes off. What are they trying to tell me???
• When my satellite radio craps out, and then kicks back in several minutes later……it still plays the same song even thought the station and my display have long since changed to a new song. There may be Martians in my radio.
• My snails being on top of each other make me VEEEEERY suspicious.
• Anyone who says “Hey! Smell this!”
• My neighbors across the street---I’m pretty sure they are trafficking drugs.
A funny side note, my father-in-law is extremely suspicious of our mailman. If he doesn’t deliver enough mail, it’s because he has a girlfriend down the street or because he has some sort of hidden agenda. If he delivers too much mail it’s because he was stockpiling it so he could deliver it all in one day. If he delivers it early, again with the girlfriend down the street.
What makes you go hmmm?
Thanks that make me go hmmm….
• The properties of gelatin. Things that congeal totally freak me out. Like spam. Or that fat layer on top of the gravy when it cools.
• Obviously, children who are much too quiet.
• The fact that my local radio station is playing reggae music every morning when my alarm goes off. What are they trying to tell me???
• When my satellite radio craps out, and then kicks back in several minutes later……it still plays the same song even thought the station and my display have long since changed to a new song. There may be Martians in my radio.
• My snails being on top of each other make me VEEEEERY suspicious.
• Anyone who says “Hey! Smell this!”
• My neighbors across the street---I’m pretty sure they are trafficking drugs.
A funny side note, my father-in-law is extremely suspicious of our mailman. If he doesn’t deliver enough mail, it’s because he has a girlfriend down the street or because he has some sort of hidden agenda. If he delivers too much mail it’s because he was stockpiling it so he could deliver it all in one day. If he delivers it early, again with the girlfriend down the street.
What makes you go hmmm?
Monday, November 26, 2007
Catching Up
So I totally posted yesterday. Really, I did, via phone just as I did all weekend with no problems. Apparently I should have checked though, because my post did not go through. That being said, my NaBloPoMo dreams have been shattered. That’ ok though, right? You were sick of me anyway.
Our weekend, from Thursday straight through yesterday was jam packed. Ed’s mom was having dinner on Thanksgiving around 5, so we got up early and painted the living room. It’s beautiful and sage green and FANCY!! Or “richy” if you’re my father-in-law. I love it; it goes amazingly well with our furniture. We got to my MIL’s at about 4:30 and Ed’s brother and girlfriend were there with the baby---who I am in love with. Eddie and Cait too. They had a great time with her. I’m not sure what the reason was, but we didn’t eat dinner until almost 8:00. Great planning MIL! We got home around 10.
All night on Thursday, Ed was talking about getting up early on Friday to go pick out a laptop. Circuit City had one on sale for $300. I told him he could do what he wanted so long as he didn’t wake me up. So he got up and went and when I woke up he was sound asleep back in bed. When we got up, he said that he hadn’t even gone, and I had no recollection of him leaving, so I believed him---until I went outside and saw a Dunkin cup in the car that I knew was not there the day before. I asked him f he was sure he stayed home and he insisted that he had. Anyway, Eddie got up and asked for some cereal and when I opened the cupboard, there it was, my new Kitchenaid stand mixer. For the last 2 years, any time I’ve mentioned getting one, he’s said no. It’s too expensive. I’ll never use it. So to say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I actually burst in to tears. Over a mixer. I am a lame ass. Anyway, I cooked and Matt and Sarah came over for Thanksgiving dinner and we watched Ocean’s 13. It was a nice night.
Saturday we started going through all of our boxes in the attic, combining and sorting all of that fun.We had a great time reading all of the notes I wrote to Ed in high school. Ed will not get rid of them. I labeled the box they are in “Burn when I die”. First of all, hello hyper active teenager…which I was. Also, it’s no wonder that I didn’t excel in school. I did nothing but write notes. Honestly, 3 notes a day. One of them actually references us having kids some day and me pointing out that I was not interested in having an Edmund Jr. I went through all of the pros and cons and then finally decided that if we had an Edmund, his middle name had to be Roark. I was insane, and I am embarrassed to have these in my house. I did enjoy going through my year books though. Saturday night we went to my cousin’s for her son’s 4th birthday party and we had a good time. She has a 3-week-old baby girl and they named her Alyson—they are calling her Ally for short, which I love. Anyway, Eddie played with Justin’s shake em up race track all night—even during cake which shows how much he liked it—so Ed went out and bought it for Christmas yesterday.
And speaking of yesterday, we didn’t do much of anything. I sorted through all of our old photos and still have a lot more to do today. It feels good getting things done and while all of the reminiscing makes me feel very old, I’m having a good time with that too. I have about 50 posts in my reader, so I’m going to get on that.
Our weekend, from Thursday straight through yesterday was jam packed. Ed’s mom was having dinner on Thanksgiving around 5, so we got up early and painted the living room. It’s beautiful and sage green and FANCY!! Or “richy” if you’re my father-in-law. I love it; it goes amazingly well with our furniture. We got to my MIL’s at about 4:30 and Ed’s brother and girlfriend were there with the baby---who I am in love with. Eddie and Cait too. They had a great time with her. I’m not sure what the reason was, but we didn’t eat dinner until almost 8:00. Great planning MIL! We got home around 10.
All night on Thursday, Ed was talking about getting up early on Friday to go pick out a laptop. Circuit City had one on sale for $300. I told him he could do what he wanted so long as he didn’t wake me up. So he got up and went and when I woke up he was sound asleep back in bed. When we got up, he said that he hadn’t even gone, and I had no recollection of him leaving, so I believed him---until I went outside and saw a Dunkin cup in the car that I knew was not there the day before. I asked him f he was sure he stayed home and he insisted that he had. Anyway, Eddie got up and asked for some cereal and when I opened the cupboard, there it was, my new Kitchenaid stand mixer. For the last 2 years, any time I’ve mentioned getting one, he’s said no. It’s too expensive. I’ll never use it. So to say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I actually burst in to tears. Over a mixer. I am a lame ass. Anyway, I cooked and Matt and Sarah came over for Thanksgiving dinner and we watched Ocean’s 13. It was a nice night.
Saturday we started going through all of our boxes in the attic, combining and sorting all of that fun.
And speaking of yesterday, we didn’t do much of anything. I sorted through all of our old photos and still have a lot more to do today. It feels good getting things done and while all of the reminiscing makes me feel very old, I’m having a good time with that too. I have about 50 posts in my reader, so I’m going to get on that.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
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