General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[Trepidation_Mom]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
. . . .with a 2 year old is a wonderful experience. I think it will be even better next year.

S_A_M

The 7 month old was a little underwhelmed, but he was really, really REALLY happy with all the wrapping paper produced. Didn't even eat that much of it. He did like his new set of wooden building blocks - they are easy to grab, colorful, chewable, and make lots of noise when knocked over. He also managed to give Santa's beard a tweak, just like mommy's hair, which was fun. (Less so for Santa - it was a real beard. Poor Santas, no wonder they drink.)

The retro tricycle went over very well, incidentally. My nephew apparently decided it was the gift of choice and has tried propelling it through some snow drifts already.

[tmdiva]

Four-year old Magnus was excited about almost all of his presents, and his second favorite was a new set of Hot Wheels. His top fave by far, though, was a second-grade math workbook picked out by his grandmother and aunt. It's become his new security blanket, and he's discovering the joys of subtraction. Heaven help us--he doesn't even start kindergarten until the fall!

tm

The 13mo old Lexling didn't open gifts until bedtime due to all the shuffling to get to grandma and grandpa's house etc. He took no interest in the wrapping, but enjoyed the toys. The kitten we are fostering for a shelter took great pleasure in the wrapping and boxes, so my wrapping effort was not wasted. The Lexling's fav toy is a truck that you sort shapes in and makes bruum bruum noises. We (I mean Santa) only got him a couple toys (none of which need batteries!) and a few books. I am proud to say we did not go overboard at all.

I have my second nasty cold in the last 3 weeks - ugh - and I am loathe to take the tree down - is there any rule that says it can't stay up all year?

[Trepidation_Mom]

Originally posted by TexLex
I am loathe to take the tree down - is there any rule that says it can't stay up all year?

We leave ours up through Twelfth Night - Jan 6. That's our excuse, anyway.

A couple of years ago, I pulled a Russian Tea Room and left some of the other decorations up all year just out of sheer laziness.

Originally posted by Trepidation_Mom
We leave ours up through Twelfth Night - Jan 6. That's our excuse, anyway.

My parents do that too and we probably will as well. The baby has his own little 3' tree in the living room (he can't get to the big one - it's behind 2 couches) and I really hate to take that one down especially - he loves it so much. Every morning he stands there squeaking at it and waits for me to turn the lights on.

Mr. Lex's crazy aunt left hers up for at least 15yrs. And yes, it was a real tree. When the needles fell off, she just spray-painted the whole thing silver (in the living room). For all we know, it might still be up. (Do you all see why I keep the baby away from his people?)

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by TexLex
My parents do that too and we probably will as well. The baby has his own little 3' tree in the living room (he can't get to the big one - it's behind 2 couches) and I really hate to take that one down especially - he loves it so much. Every morning he stands there squeaking at it and waits for me to turn the lights on.

That's interesting. While I was in Viet Nam, Sis got me a 2 feet high number with lights twinkling different colors. We arrived 2 days before Xmas and Vietbabe loved the lights so much - they became her hypnosis for naptime. I kept the tree on a little pedastal for over a year. She loved it. Who cares what people think?

Christmas Eve day: Vietbabe got the stomach virus and barfed everywhere but was fine Christmas day. It was a blast. Age 2 is great because they love everything they get and also you can do a really hasty, botched-up wrapping job and they don't care. For something different, I asked a gourmet type baker to create a tiny, round cake decorated pretty and Christmas-like. It came out great and was not that expensive. I froze it until Christmas morning and then hauled out the old highchair and plopped Vietbabe in it which she got a kick out of. I stuck a candle in the cake, turned out the lights, and sang "Merry Christmas to You" and plopped it on the high chair. Oila, breakfast. She thinks I am a really cool Mom now. In a few years, though, she'll know I'm more like Mr. Lex's Aunt. Carpe Diem.

VM (who has the stomach virus today)

[Trepidation_Mom]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Christmas Eve day: Vietbabe got the stomach virus and barfed everywhere but was fine Christmas day.

VM (who has the stomach virus today)

Pretty funny. I got a virus Chirstmas Eve Day (I was feeling a bit tackey for a couple days before that but was basically working too hard to get sick, and then on the 24th I almost literally couldn't get out of bed), but I was much better Christmas Day. (Or not - I feel much better today than I did on either the 25th or 26th, but everone who's seen me says "wow, you're sick, huh?" And I thought I looked so pulled together.) Nanny also fell suddenly ill with the same bug on Christmas Eve day, but she's still down with it.

Meanwhile, the kiddo has had a slight runny nose off and on since the beginning of last week, and coughed a few times over the weekend. That's it. I think he picked up the original bug, a mini-Patient Zero, and it mutated and now he's infected the rest of us with some killer strain of something. Fortunately, Trepidation_Dad seems immune, so there is hope for the rescue of humanity once the heroic and improbably blonde CDC doctor smuggles herself past quarantine to make a serum from his blood ... or, wait, was that something I saw on SciFi this weekend while running a fever?

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by Trepidation_Mom
Fortunately, Trepidation_Dad seems immune

I would be careful and assume T Dad will get it and plan things with that in mind. At my parents house, every one of the holiday week inhabitants got it in some form or another over the course of 5 days: Mom, Dad, Me, Sis 1, Sis 2, all five grandkids, cousin 1 and cousin 2. Gramps and Gram came down with it today after having visited Christmas Eve. Unless the house has something in it making us all sick (isn't THAT a movie on Sci Fi channel?) this thing is mighty contagious.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
We have someone in the neighborhood who each winter constructs an outdoor rink in their back yard. It takes up their whole back yard, which they had bulldozed flat to make this possible. They build a frame, lay down a double lining, flood the thing, and let it freeze.

Pretty serious about their hockey.

I thought everyone did this?

(And then we wonder why our backyard grass always looks like hell.)

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
. . . .with a 2 year old is a wonderful experience. I think it will be even better next year.

S_A_M

Wait until the oldest is fifteen, you've spent more than you spent on your first four cars, and then they wander away to play with their Ipods/phones/snowboards, and you don't see them again for days.

Come to think of it, it IS a wonderful experience.

[andViolins]

Winter break makes me realize yet again how much I like being the working parent. And that my wife is a Saint.

aV

[dtb]

Originally posted by andViolins
Winter break makes me realize yet again how much I like being the working parent. And that my wife is a Saint.

aV

Word.

(Except in my case, it's the babysitter who is the saint. I'm a bad, bad, working mother -- I mean, come on... "bad, working mother" is a tautology.)

Much to my surprise, it looks like #2 is a boy. It's too early to tell for sure, but that sure didn't look like a third leg we saw on the scan last week!

On an unrelated note, I hate all my clients, everything to do with law, and did I mention, all of my clients? I am feeling rather dissatisfied this week.

-TL

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by TexLex
Much to my surprise, it looks like #2 is a boy. It's too early to tell for sure, but that sure didn't look like a third leg we saw on the scan last week!

On an unrelated note, I hate all my clients, everything to do with law, and did I mention, all of my clients? I am feeling rather dissatisfied this week.

-TL

Congrats! The added benefit is that you can share clothes, right up until they actually notice and start to fuss.

And I hate your clients, and everything to do with the law too. Solidarity.

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
Congrats! The added benefit is that you can share clothes, right up until they actually notice and start to fuss.

And I hate your clients, and everything to do with the law too. Solidarity.

Thanks. I figure with boys, I've got a whole lot longer before they care about clothes. Unfortunately, this one is due in July and the last one came in Nov., so we will have a plenty of clothes that can't be re-used.

I hate my clients a tad less today; one of them sent me money.