I AM - BECAUSE YOU ARE

This Christmas break didn't start off as planned as I got hit with gastro or food poisoning the first night! But, aside from the usual holiday chaos and another leaky ear for the LO, things have been pretty good so far. Mostly quiet, which I need these days. In less than 3 weeks we are headed into surgery again to replace the fallen ear tube and have her adenoids removed as well in hopes of clearing up the issues once and for all. She has another follow up with her ophthalmologist too because we are starting to see her eye turn inwards again. Hopefully the surgery works well this time and her eye can be fixed with glasses alone and we can go on with our year not plagued by medical woes. Even if she does need another eye surgery, at least we know what to expect this time and it should be the last. A quiet night ahead with no chance of making it to midnight! Ever since we actually stood in Times Square for New Year's, over a decade ago now, the thrill of watching the ball dro

For three years now, we have brought the LO to see Santa Claus at the mall. And, aside from the first year when she was too young to understand anything, she has had a major meltdown because, quite frankly, she’s afraid of him. In fact, last year’s meltdown was so bad she never actually saw Santa, and he was no help because he just sat there waiting for us to leave and the next child to come like an assembly line. I think maybe he was actually the Grinch in disguise. But I had heard positive things about another Santa, closer to home, so one night after daycare last year I decided to drive by and give him a try since there was nobody waiting in line. Well, inevitably, she was still afraid and the tears came pouring down. But there was something special about the jolly old man in front of us. He was calm, he was patient, he was sincere, he was... no word of a lie, Santa. He has the bluest eyes, the warmest heart, and the kindest spirit. We managed to get a decent enough picture and

Every year I find myself being the expected organizer of activities, big and small, with friends, family and co-workers throughout the month of December. And, every year, I have found myself wondering who will step up and pick up my slack if I simply don’t feel like taking care of everything. Well, this year I got my answer. No one. And that’s OK! The people I rarely see but would make time for over the holidays, they haven’t even called. Most of the co-workers I would organize events with have all asked me what/when we are doing something, but none have volunteered to plan anything when I’ve told them I just wasn’t up to it. In fact, this year everyone seems “too busy anyway”, so I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t organize, right? As for family, or extended family to be clear, I will absolutely make the effort to keep up with them – just as soon as work is finished! Even if it’s just for a hot chocolate break between the chaos, they are the ones I will always make the time for.

In the words of Rachel Coleman (from the Signing Time series) I love... It's Potty Time! Yesterday the LO's daycare teacher called me over and asked if she could try to begin potty training her. She said all the other little girls in the class are already in underwear and they liked to show each other who they are wearing, pull everything down themselves and be independent. While we are using training pull-ups, they just aren't the same. I said she doesn't seem interested, at home, but absolutely, let's try! This morning I offered the LO her first pair of underwear and she adamantly refused. And the next one, and then the next one too. "I don't want those, I want the cat one" she insisted. The cat one is a Hello Kitty pull-up. DH and I said we weren't going to force it and he was about to out in the pull-up when it hit me... all the little girls like going to the bathroom and playing underwear show and tell! The underwear I was o