Another Day in Happy Happy Land

That's it, I quit!
Oh, yeah, there's no quitting when the husband's away. Miss Ky has been good enough to share her cold with me, but while she naps, I am still picking up the destruction left in her path. You see, this serves me right because I was dancing lightly through the daffodils with my rosy vision of motherhood just yesterday and so today-- the world came to a halt (for 3.5 seconds-- the time mothers are allowed to take a break) when my head suddenly gained 20 pounds (about a stone and a half if we want to have our All Things British lesson for today).
I already type in the dark (one of the little vultures will know I am down here and join me if I switch on a light), but now I have to sit a little like Eliza Doolittle in training to keep my nose from running off on it's own. What a great life....

Charlie Brown Christmas

My Prodigal Son

My Stardust counter IS counting down the release of the DVD (which has become my favourite movie to date) but it's also had another meaning (I hinted in an earlier blog).

Well, one week out and I am more excited than ever.
J1 is coming home for Christmas!
In one week I will own the dvd (hopefully, the BX could sell out) and will have my little boy(!) home. When he left in June (just a couple of days after graduation), we really didn't think we'd see him until our family Disney trip tentatively slated for September 2008. So, imagine how excited we were to hear that his job was giving him so much time off for Christmas!
Having one child grown and gone really makes me realize how quickly the others are growing up. When the house is at it's most chaotic, I try to stop and really look at these mini-people and see them for who they are. Like J2, who has already fallen for a girl and he's only 9! (It's mutual and has lasted for almost year... can you believe that?!); A1 who tries so hard to keep everyone in line for Mum's sanity; A2, the blissful little Nativity Skeleton (see blog below) and Miss Ky: Kidzilla, Destructor, Princess-climbs-a-lot, who grew into a toddler between naps. I cherish them all and am looking forward to our Christmas together.
P/S Don't breathe a word of this to my husband. When he calls to check on us, I tell him I can't stand another day of this... I don't want him too get to comfortable being gone on these deployments all the time-- he may start volunteering!

A Christmas Nativity to Remember

Son # 4 will be appearing in his first Christmas Nativity next week. He's four and only attending Reception half time until January (Reception is equivalent to our Kindergarten). He will be the all-important sheep (which I thought it was cool and had visions of him bleating and stealing the show), but he said, "No way Jose! I'm gonna be a skeleton". His exact words.
A couple of weeks have passed since he was given his role and despite my sudden interest to point out sheep in the fields and talk about their importance on the Earth and doing every "Baaaaah Baaaah" I get a chance to, he is still determined to be a skeleton.
I am wondering whether to tell his teacher that this Nativity may be one to remember.....

Here Comes the Sun....

This is what I woke up to today. Stunning.

Thank you everyone for your kind comments (including the ones I received by email). The break was actually VERY productive and while NOT staring at my comp-oo'er monitor, I got a lot done. Doesn't it feel great to have those nagging "To Do" lists completed?
And no, my Christmas cards aren't handmade this year, but my kids attended every birthday party they were invited to. I lived in my car for two days trying to drive these country roads from one party to the next-- why can't all of my kids be invited to the same party? Why can't these parents get together and have one massive party for my sake?
I also addressed half of my BOXED cards (but they have the cutest little red British post box on them), got the tree up with the top half decorated (you can forget the bottom half with Miss Ky living here). Woo Hoo, Holiday Chaos, bring it on!