The baby is quietly waddling around the house undoing things--taking all the bottles out of the bottle basket, all the gray square mats out of the workout corner, all the toilet paper off the roll, all the clothes out of the laundry basket, all the kitchen towels out of the drawer, all the parts of the kitchen aid out of the cupboard, all the low lying ornaments off the tree.
Yes, we still have the Christmas tree up. I hate looking at it. I lie on the couch every evening and imagine taking the ornaments off, one by one, and wrapping them carefully and placing them in their bin. I can see, in my mind, where each of ornament will go and how they will fit together. But then, when I stand up, it all fades away and I forget that we have a living room or that Christmas was a month ago or whatever.
So I thought perhaps today, being a snow day, I might take a stab at coping with the tree. However, I've already made pancakes (does anyone else experience abject rage when, after serving up an entire meal at great personal expense of energy and time, 3 out of five children come back TEN MINUTES LATER to say they are "hungry" and what else is there to eat?), bread dough and done a load of laundry. That's probably enough for the whole day, given that shoving all the children in and out of snow pants, boots, hats, mittens and scarves will take about three hours, and then it will be time for supper or lunch or something. But maybe I could start by just getting the bin out to stare out for a few more days.
It might be really nice to have it down by Valentine's Day. Or the Super Bowl. Or the time my mom arrives (next Tuesday, PRAISE THE LORD). On the other hand, maybe we could leave it up "so she could see it" and then I could actually stage that now totally false picture of all the children in their Christmas clothes in front of the tree, followed by the equally false picture of all the children in their Christmas pj's in front of the tree.
Either way, when it all comes down to it, its not about the tree still being up or the baby wrecking the entire house or the children eating all day long, its about the fact that I am probably NEVER GOING TO GIVE BIRTH EVER.
6 comments:
I so sympathize with your Christmas problem. Sometimes exhaustion just is. I recall all I had to take over when our second boy was born and am amazed at your energy!
True story for your amusement. Friends of ours years back got married without a clear sense of who did what. She had come from a family where everyone pitched in on whatever needed to be done, he from one that defined tasks as 'manly' or 'woman's work.'
First Christmas together she is looking for help taking down the (artificial) tree, whose top she cannot reach. Nope, that is 'womans' work.' Nothing happened. For Valentine's day, the tree sprouted red hearts! For St. Patrick's green shamrocks appeared. At Easter, eggs in various colors appeared. For Memorial day, flags were seen.
His folks were invited for a 4th of July barbecue. He took down the tree and they had a conversation about how two working and married adults cooperate.
FWIW
jimB
Maybe your mom will take it down for you!
My mother still tells the story of how I learned to crawl the week before she, my father and I moved cross-country from Virginia to California. Apparently I took great delight in unpacking boxes she had just packed, removing all the Kleenex tissues from the box, etc.
I love to watch babies disassembling things - I think it's their interest and focus that intrigues me. However I do have to admit that it's not my job to join together what they have put asunder, since I am not a parent. I am sure you are eagerly anticipating your mother's arrival. Good luck!
Jim,
You forgot the Mardi Gras tree althougth not all stores may carry the green, yellow and purple lights or the crawfish lights.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5826839_decorate-mardi-gras-tree.html
Anne, know you and the babe are in our prayers.
Jackie
Is it too late to pretend you are Russian Orthodox?
mm
So, has the baby turned? Are you all okay? Kennedy 6.0 will be making a debut soon and very soon. How exciting is that? You are in my prayers.
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