What We Really Want
I got a call last night from Emmie. I knew the kids had gone to see Santa, but she'd forgotten to tell me about what Lilli told him. All week she'd been asking her what she was going to ask Santa to bring her for Christmas. "Mommy, I'm going to ask for all the best toys." Probing her for more specifics got her nowhere, as she towed that party line without variance. Then, the big day arrived. She climbed up in the lap of the jolly old elf, and their discourse ran something like this: Hi there, what's your name? Lilli Munoz What would you like for Christmas, Lilli? Candy Corn Um...Candy Corn? Yes. It's orange, and they only make it at Halloween, so it might be hard to find, but Mommy...
The Truth about Planning
I'm a planner, by nature. If I know I have a lot coming up, I try to break it down and put it all out on paper, or my iPad, so I have running lists, and can try to keep up with everything. The problem, though, has been this very interesting middle part of my life as a woman. Let's just say Mama ain't got the handle on multitasking that she once had, poor girl. Not by a long shot. I can't juggle those lists quite the same anymore. Stuff falls through the cracks, lost and forgotten. I feel like they fly around me, beating me about the head, and if I were a cartoon character, I'd be one that had just suffered an altercation, with lines and stars swirling around my dizzy head. When I...
Around the Table
Late, late post this morning, because I actually slept late (which never happens) and have just been savoring the quiet. We had a wonderful time last night. The party went off without a hitch, and the whole evening was warm and festive. It was a nice-sized crowd; not so many that you couldn't move comfortably around, but not so small that it felt like no one came. In the immortal words of Goldilocks, it was just right. This was everyone's first trip to this house, so for a while, I gave the nickle tour, always ending up in my favorite room in the house: the kid's room. After that, people started filling their plates, and I sat for a while with some folks out in the living room, by...
To Serve
I've got a bunch of people coming to my house tonight. The annual office Holiday Party (did you see me being politically correct there?) is here in our home, so since Emmie and family left on Sunday, I've been in serious party mode. All the kid stuff had to be swiftly removed and replaced by decorative wares that also improve party flow. Dedicated thought had to be given to the best layout for the food so the area doesn't bottle neck. Seriously, it's a science. Yesterday was my cooking day. After writing my post first thing, I put on my fanciest (or not) sweats and headed to the kitchen, where I stayed all. day. long. I worked on presenting all of the food in ways that are easy to...
What We Deserve
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a friend of mine. She has kind of a tough exterior, having come through some pretty hard knocks in her life, and it makes her uncomfortable when people see glimpses of her soft side. And trust me when I say she's a SOFTY. When I told her I'd been on to her, and her softy ways, from almost the beginning, she said she reserves the side that showcases her kindness and compassion for her immediate family and the few people she really cares about. Nobody else, though, because she's found that most don't deserve it, and, hey, why waste the energy? It is seriously easy to feel that way, isn't it? There are so many who don't return the...