Christmas Morning!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! It's Christmas morning and boy do miracles really happen. My lil one went to bed last night after fighting at 102.5 temp all day and woke up perfectly fine! 98.5 degrees and feeling great! She said "I wished for Santa to make me all better for Christmas" and she got exactly what we all wanted. This year I felt like I went a little overboard on her presents. I thought I was done spending at by $150 max on Black Friday but I wasn't so good. This is the first year since shes been born I've had an extra money to imagine splurging a little, and believe me, shes had a hard year so I think she deserves it. I wrapped the presents diligently and left them under the tree, filled her stockings and smiled at myself knowing I made all her Christmas Dreams come true. Her Santa list this year was:
1. Anna & Elsa Dolls(the 21" stuffed ones- easy to get from Disney since the movie was huge)
2. Wreck it Ralph Stuffy(Not so easy to get.... the movie was a pretty big flop & they stopped making the toys in May... thank goodness for ebay)
3. Inkoos(Easy... done)
4. THE MOST IMPORTANT- Fur Real Snuggimals Kitten(I love when her most important present cost $7)
5. Bubble Bath(okey dokey)
6. American Girl Kit Doll(WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT????)
The last one was an add on about a week after Christmas when our mail came & there it was, the catalogue. My daughter has had an american girl doll(that was mine) since she was 2. I buy it one outfit a year and we're good to go... but not anymore. Little one has apparently inherited my obsession with AG dolls. Upon this addition to her list, I promptly told her she already had 5 items on her list(the max I allow) and that Santa might not be able to add another toy. Her little eyes just sank.... I let it go a few days until she said to my out of the blue one morning at breakfast "If Santa can't bring me the Kit Doll can I use my moneys to buy it???" Oh right then & there I was on a mission, and with the help of some amazing people, I was able to find a gently used & totally restored Kit Doll for about 3/4 the price. Add a box and we were good to go.

When she woke up this morning and got us up she was a ball of energy.... my peanut was back in action. And when she finished opening her Santa presents she said "Mommy I got everything I ever wanted in my whole life" and that was the only Christmas present I wished for.

2013

Here we are again, upon ourselves with Christmas. Last year, I creatively moved our elf from one location to another, often spending hours with my husband rigging up "hot air balloons" and zip lines. This year.... the elf has moved from one stagnant location to the next. Its been almost a year since I took to my blog, and life has gotten insane. Little Nut(my daughter) is now 4 and a self proclaimed "big kid" because she goes to pre-school instead of day-care.  And most of the time it's just her & I. My hubby took a job working on the other side of the country(literally, we are on opposite coasts and often talk while staring at opposite oceans) Its been a tough transition, but it makes him happy & it's the best thing for our family. We have high hopes he can be transferred closer within the next 2 years. So to replace the void we've added a new family member to the mix.... Jinglebells, our pet Guinea Pig.

So I will sum this "update" post up with 5 things I have learned in 2013:
#1: Communication is Key: It may sound cliche but honestly it is... my relationship with hubby has only strengthened since he has been gone. I believe 100% this is because we actually have to talk to each other. it was so easy when he was home to just sit on the couch and watch TV. Between work & taking care of our daughter we were like passing ships in the night. At one point we went 4 months without a day off together.
#2: Do not let anyone take you for granted: Your time and energy is valuable. This is something I learned while at work and it rings truer than true right now. If you let them take you for granted once, they will do it again, and in the end you will be worn out, tired and unappreciated. It's not worth it.
#3: Children are the best medicine: After a stressful long day, the one thing that can make everything better is a big hug & kiss followed by a "can we watch a movie" from my Little Nut. It makes me remember why we are sacrificing and why I work hard. To provide the best life for her.
#4: Don't count on Children to always be that best medicine: Honestly, any parent should know this one. The day you walk in thinking "I need a hug and a movie" is the day you walk in to a house that looks like Cape Cod miraculously got hit my an earthquake and your child is pant-less running around screaming.
#5: Take some time off: Take time off from work, take time off from your kids, take time off from errands and housework and chores. Take time off from life. It will be worth paying the babysitter that extra hour while you lay on the beach with peace and quiet. You need to take care of yourself.

And my hubby will be home in 3 days. Hopefully we can get some decent elf locations schemed up before Christmas :-)