December 2005 Archives

As unready as we are to travel, our trip up north for Christmas is almost here. I wanted to leave a quick post to let people know what our plans are so you can coordinate your own schedules, if you so desire.

We've already left the dogs with Regina and Michel in Alabama (thanks again, guys), so we're heading straight to Indiana when we leave here on Wednesday morning. We'll be going to Bloomington first, to spend Wednesday evening with Alecia's best friend Marci and her husband, Mark.

We'll leave the following morning for Mishawaka, where we'll stay with my parents through the holidays. My family opens gifts on Christmas Eve, so that's what we'll be doing on Saturday. We're fortunate that Alecia's brother, Rob, will be joining us in Mishawaka for our celebration. (Rob, you are one brave soul.)

On Sunday morning, Maddie and Josie will find gifts from Santa under the tree, then we'll all head over to my sister Julie's for an all-day gathering.

Our next planned event will come the following Wednesday or Thursday night, when we'll leave the girls with my parents so we can head to Chicago to spend an evening with my brother, Mike, and his wife, Kami. We plan to see Rob while we're there, although I doubt we'll be lucky enough to see him perform.

The following Saturday is New Year's Eve, and our plan is to go out to dinner with my parents (with the girls, of course), then head over to my sister's to do the countdown. Alecia and I haven't done anything on New Year's for almost three years, so this should be fun.

We'll be watching a lot of football over the final few days of our trip (at least, I will), including the big Notre Dame bowl game on Monday, Jan. 2. The next day, Tuesday, January 3, we'll be back in the car, heading down to Alabama. We'll stay the night at Mic's place, then take the girls and the dogs back to Atlanta the next afternoon.

All in all, we'll be spending thirteen nights away from home, sleeping in a minimum of five different houses (not counting ours at start and finish) and traveling across six states. We will have plenty of leisure time, but we'll also be filling the days not planned out above with trips to see Alecia's dad and aunt, my grandma, and possibly my friend from college, if it all works out right. We also have plans for movies (King Kong and Chronicles of Narnia for me, Memoirs of a Geisha for Alecia), sledding, and maybe even skiing if I can con Alecia into it. Needless to say, it will be a fun--but possibly exhausting--vacation.

We will not be traveling with a cell phone, so if you need us, you'll have to call my parents' house: (574)259-4325. Hopefully, nothing will happen on the trip that will make us wish we had a phone with us...

If you're part of the southern crowd that we're driving away from, or part of the northern crowd that we don't get to see on this trip, have a merry Christmas. We wish everyone a 2006 as good as our 2005 was, and we hope to hear from/see you all soon.

PS - We just got the Christmas cards we ordered, so if you haven't received one from us, there's a reason. They'll be going out tomorrow. Nothing like a post-Christmas card, right?

Mommy: We're going to see Santa, Maddie. What does Santa say?

Maddie: Ho ho ho! --{actually she pronounces it "ha ha ha"}

Mommy: And what will you say when Santa says "What do you want for Christmas, Maddie?"

Maddie: Presents!!! ...Presents for my mommy!!!

{The best part is that I didn't tell her to say that.}

I just started a new job last week. I'm working at a nearby spa at guest services desk. It's great. I work for just a few hours in the evenings (and some weekend days) in the most relaxing, chill spot you can possibly be. Soothing music, the smell of sweetly scented oils and candles, people who whisper instead of scream "Where's my binky!?!" haha Seriously, though, it's a cush job so far. I'm really enjoying being able to go out, relax, talk to adults, dress up, and actually get paid for it. Plus, it's in the mall so I can get some Christmas shopping done on my breaks.

I've been working the evenings while Bill watches the girls. He gives them baths and puts them to bed. He did this with Maddie when she was younger (when I worked at Barnes and Noble) and I think it really contributed to how close they are now. Sure I miss being with them, and all of us together as a family during those few hours, but I've already noticed how the girls have grown from spending one-on-one time with Daddy. Josie, who has always been "mommy's girl" --as in, only wanting me to hold her, even she sees me in the next building-- has started reaching for Bill and saying "Da!" when he gets home from work. She gives him the sweetest smile too.

Oh, and don't forget about the discounts. Yeah, discounts on massages. Now there's a perk.

{Ava lives on the next street over and we usually walk to her house.}

Mommy: We're going to see Ava today, Maddie. Aren't you excited?

Maddie: Yes! We go see Ava today. I drive my stroller.

Mommy: But we're driving the car to see Ava.

Maddie: Noooooo, Mommy. You so silly. We go see Ava in the stroller. Re-mem-mem-ber?