‘Tis the season y’all. I’m busy shopping and list making and triple list making and deciding what to do about Christmas cards (post cards? New Year cards?) and slowly organizing our trip out to Utah. It feels indulgent, buying Gracie Christmas gifts plus a few airplane surprises, but the trip out there is just the two of us (B has to stay in Chicago a few more days to get some more billable hours in, lawyering, isn’t that the best) and we take off at bedtime and there is no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks I’m coming unprepared. The iPad will be loaded and toddler headphones will be acquired, a travel Magna-Doodle is in the wings, and special new coloring markers will be at the ready in case of meltdown. And then there is Christmas and of course I just got my hot hands on one of the “Top Lists” of the year- top picture books of 2014- and I think Gracie needs all of them. Obviously.
I had to put a week long lock-down on Frozen after Gracie awoke Monday morning asking for it (Hi Mommy, Pozen?) and as soon as we got in the car after daycare (Home? Pozen?) and I told her that Frozen took a nap and went bye-bye. Maybe they will come back Saturday! In the meantime I offered up Charlie Brown, which she rejected, but now that she realizes Mommy is quite serious about no-Pozen she asked for Mr. Brown this morning. Sadly (for her) I said no, but I am going to record Frosty for her as a little Friday night treat. (Frozen will be offered on the airplane as many times as she likes, because Mama isn’t a fool)
Going to Utah presents its own little challenges regarding packing (making room for the gifts we are giving, hoping they spatially match up with the gifts that are given) but for now I’m just mailing every gift I give to may parents and crossing my fingers nothing is much bigger than what it is in my mind. We ordered the UppaBaby stroller travel bag for our umbrella stroller which appears to be back in stock after being sold out at 90% of retailers (I found it at Bloomingdales), making me worry we’d missed the window of opportunity. Fun fact: if you register your UppaBaby travel bag + stroller on their website, if it is damaged under the plane, they fix/replace it for free. Consider it an inexpensive insurance policy. The bag has arrived, and like all things Uppa, I’m impressed with the quality. Go figure.
I am also mentally trying to work out Gracie and I and our trip to the airport for our flight out, which is during rush hour, so the train makes the most sense, except B can’t come so it is me, Gracie, 2 suitcases, a stroller, a carseat, and a huge tote with the diaper bag, stroller bag, Tula inside of it. During rush hour. On a train. Haaaahahahahaha. And of course the logistics of getting us from home/daycare to the train itself, which obviously involves walking city blocks and, uh, can I hire a Sherpa?
I had a momentary freak-out that I only have one holiday-weekend left in Chicago before heading out of town, drastically reducing my spare time in which to get things done. This Saturday we plan on hitting up the Christmas market (plans were thwarted last weekend) with friends and attending a family Christmas party in the evening. Between now and then there are meatballs to make and cookies to bake (having our neighbor over for some sugar cookie decorating) and work Christmas parties to attend (two down, one to go) and of course, work. Always in the way, jobs. I also need to figure out which portions of my ski gear are here in Chicago and which are in my closet in Utah and ask myself why I have my snowshoeing boots in Chicago when all snowshoeing I do is in Utah…. and I should probably remember to bring a spare set of gloves for Gracie and also her snow suit…..
Regardless of the hustle and bustle we are enjoying our tree and Christmas jammies and listening to Gracie “ho ho ho” every time she sees Santa. Christmas with a kid is pretty great, even when they rearrange the ornaments on your tree and try to unwrap gifts that are for others.
And finally, I ask (for…a friend…) how many pairs of Christmas jammies is too many?
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