It's the most wonderful time of the year

So how was everyone's Christmas?

Ours was great. We decided to hit the road this year, and traveled to both my hometown, as well as Dan's. We ate way too much food, stayed up way too late, and the kid scored TONS of loot..ahem, I mean, gifts. He had so much stuff that he had to open his gifts over a three day time frame. Madness!

Recap of the trip:

• I confirmed my theory that first time grandparents are insane, and this time I have picture proof. Ian's grandfather, my father, decided that it would be a good thing for Ian to use his laptop as a toy. Seriously, you can't be any crazier than that. I believe some of his email contacts are going to be a bit confused as to why they received an email that reads kuhi43543iunhbndk/,.//-
  
• Ian was more social than normal. Ian is kind of like a cat (which may be why he loves them so much) in that he has to get to know you in his own way and on his terms. The worst thing you can do when meeting him for the first time is gush all over him, and then try to pick him up. No sir, you're immediately on his list, and trust me, you don't want to be there. The best course of action is to acknowledge his presence with a hello, and then completely ignore him. I know this sounds harsh, but it works. Ian will take several minutes to analyze how you, the newcomer, interact with us, and if you meet his approval he will generally, but not always, work his way toward you. Anyway, this weekend many people broke etiquette for an "Ian meet n greet" but he was fairly quick in forgiving them, and even engaged a few people on his own. It was a Christmas miracle.
  
• Dan kicked butt at the family domino game. It's pretty much a tradition for my side of the family to have a domino tournament at most family gatherings. This year Dan was "in the zone." You gotta love a man that can talk trash during a game and then back it up.
  
• We didn't have any major family arguments. You know the routine: It's the holidays, you're stressed out from shopping, you're surround by extended family that knows exactly how to push your buttons, and you theirs, and depending on the family, there may be alcohol. All these things can lead to an explosive family argument. I'm happy to report, we had none. Score!
  
• We stopped by my in-laws house -well, what's left of it- and saw the extensive damage caused by hurricane Ike. Nature is a frightening, yet amazing thing.

Below are the pictures that I promised.

We survived

We're back in town.
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I'm still tired.
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Ian was spoiled rotten.
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Our house is a mess
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Pictures to come

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone reading this has a very Merry Christmas!

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Last Friday we decided to venture out to the Trail of Lights. This was the first visit for Ian and I was SO excited. For those who aren't familiar, the trail of lights is a 1.25 mile trail of elaborate Christmas displays (41 displays to be exact). Along the trail there is food, entertainment, and crafts. Good stuff.
When we decided to hit the trail, it made me reminisce of Christmas when I was a child. I remember how my parents and our family friends would pile into our van, drive around neighborhoods near and far, oohing and aahing over the intricate Christmas decorations. Good times.

Anyway, after properly overdosing on the nostalgia of Christmases past, Dan and I prepped the diaper bag, grabbed the stroller, along with a few emergency snacks, and made our way towards the park.

Note to self: The fantasy world and the real world are two totally different places.

See in the fantasy world, the trail of lights is a magical place for kids and adults alike. There are Christmas carols playing in the background, children giddy with laughter, parents with their hands interlaced looking lovingly towards each other as well as their child(ren), all the while absorbing the magic that is Christmas.

In the real world however, it's a bunch of overtired kids hopped up on sugar that are up way past their bedtime. They are surrounded by exhausted parents that just got off of work, and had to sit in a ridiculous amount of traffic, and instead of Christmas carols, there is the occasional parental outburst of "HEY, STOP BEING A BRAT!"

Well count us among the tired parents out with a kid up way past his bedtime, but I think we still managed to have a good time. I introduced Ian to wonder that is funnel cakes (which is even more proof that God exists and love us), and we even managed to take a couple of blurry, out of focus pics. I figured out rather early on that we weren't going to have spectacular pictures. There are thousands of people out there, and if you pause for too long, you're bound to be run down by several thousand strollers. Not worth it.

Either way, I hope you enjoy the blurry pics!

Mel's Musings (and Rants)

There have been many times I've had random thoughts pop into my head and I want to post about them, but it doesn't really warrant a full post. I've decided to clump all these thoughts together and put them in a single post (kind of like I did here). Get ready, something tells me this type of post won't be a one time occurrence :)

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Let's start with email etiquette, shall we? When forwarding an email that has been forwarded 1500 previous times, it really pays to take the extra seconds to delete all of the other emails listed in the body of the message. Yes, I'm lazy when it comes to email, and I can't tell you how many I've deleted simply because I got tired of scrolling. Don't judge me.

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I love most everything about the Christmas season: Cold weather, hot chocolate, fires in the fireplace, Christmas decorations and music, Christmas Eve church services and plays...yep, I love most everything, except Christmas shopping. Why do we have to go and ruin perfection by adding in the stress of gift giving (have I mentioned that I hate shopping)? Don't get me wrong, I love buying gifts for kids and seeing their little faces light up, but it's so much harder to buy for adults. Generally, when adults want or need something, they go out and buy it, so when Christmas comes around you have absolutely no idea what to buy them. This then creates a headache for everyone involved. I have an idea. NO GIFTS FOR ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 18. Who's with me? Seriously, I'm too young to be this stressed out.

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Speaking of Christmas shopping, I have a general PSA. When driving around in the overly crowded parking lots, it actually helps to use the turn signals on your car. I know it's just the parking lot and not the "real road", but it helps the 15,000 other manic shoppers know where the heck you are going. Yes, I realize my OCD is showing.

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lit⋅er⋅al⋅ly [lit-er-uh-lee] –adverb

1.	in the literal or strict sense: What does the word mean literally?

2.	in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally.

3.	actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed.

4.	in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.

definition taken from dictionary.com

Nothing drives me crazier than to hear the word literally used incorrectly. I'm sure I use plenty of words incorrectly, and I'll string a fragment together like nobody's business, but for the love of all that is holy, can people please use this one word properly?

Correct: I went to Walmart Saturday, and I literally stood in line for 30 minutes to buy 2 items.

This statement is quite accurate, and without even a hint of exaggeration. I stood in line for 30 minutes to buy garland for our Christmas tree.

Incorrect: While waiting in line at Walmart, my head literally exploded.

Although I felt like my head would explode, I performed a thorough search of the floor, and I didn't find a single portion of my brain on the ground.

Is that clear? Good.

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Ian is 20 months old (17 months adjusted), and I think I'm beginning to get a glimpse into why the two's are so terrible. Here you have a small person, that has definite opinions, likes/dislikes, and desires, but doesn't have the vocabulary (nor do I have the gift of interpreting tongues) to express exactly what he wants. God help us.

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Speaking of Ian's age, I'll be so glad when he turns two years old. Why? So I can stop describing his age in freaking months! I've tried telling people how old Ian is in years, but for some reason if I say "My son is about 1 1/2 years old," people get this confused look on their face as if I've answered their question in a foreign language. So then I back track and say "He's 20 months old," and then the light bulb goes off above their head and all is right with the world.

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Whew! That felt great. I guess I'll go ahead and end things on this note. I should probably introduce my crazy in spurts instead of all at once.

It makes it all worth it

I'm at home with a sick Ian for the second time in two weeks.

I got a call from his care provider yesterday, saying that Ian had a fever that quickly skyrocketed to 103 degrees. Being the overprotective parent that I am, Dan and I rushed Ian to the doctor, and after an exam, x-ray, and blood work, all per the doctor's request, it turns out it is just a viral infection that has to run its course. After a good nights rest, Ian's temperature has finally returned to normal and he is more himself.

To celebrate a happier kiddo, I decided to cook some of Ian's favorites for breakfast instead of the usual cheerios or oatmeal. The menu consisted of scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, and toast with strawberry jelly. After breakfast was over, I began clearing the table, but when I went to unbuckle Ian from the high chair, he stopped me and grabbed my hand. Confused, I said "What's wrong Pooh?", and then he did the sweetest thing. He kissed my hand.

Then, in an attempt to make my heart completely explode, when I picked Ian up all ready to smother him with hugs and kisses, he grabbed my face, pulled it closer to him, and kissed my cheek.

I tell ya, just when I begin to question whether or not I'm cut out for this parenting thing, this kid has a way of making me feel all better.

He's a keeper.