Vacation in January

Day Two...

started exactly same as Day one... lol...

the morning was taken up with blogging, which I love and find relaxing, then I worked on some spreadsheets for payroll and the input sheets and everything reconciled easily! love it when that happens!

suddenly it was lunch time... Lil D and I headed downstairs to the basement to get organizing.
She was, like yesterday, alternately helpful and a hindrance... but we had lots of conversations and we gathered stuff up and then I moved some furniture and sorted things out.... Big D came home and did homework while we were back at it. Payroll called from Montreal and that went perfect! gotta love it! and back at it again.

I am really pleased with how the kids section of the basement worked out. The girls are delighted. I took pix I will put here later.

then tonight, the gals at work are scrapbooking and I have never missed it until tonight but I am just way toooo achy... so stayed home. Hope they are having fun and I hope they miss me! The Scrappy Scrapbookers! I may have a nice hot bath with some lovely stuff my niece gave me for Christmas.

The four of us worked on packing the stuff on the dining table after supper. I had brought up more boxes today and G brought up the rest.

making progress!

Day One:

so I am thinking of Monday as Day One. I believe some people count the weekend as part of their vacay but I don't so... I will not bore you with the insanity of the weekend... which was as or more insane than other weekends.

So... Monday...

got up regular time and got kids up... began reg. routine of arguing, cajoling, encouraging, bribing etc. them to get dressed, eat breakfast etc. you know the drill... check school bag, packed lunch... saw that one off.. and then debated... hmmmmm.... is this one going to daycare or staying home... tried to discuss with her... so anyway...

Lil D decided to play computer. She is on massive computer kick. Loves it! will play for hours... I swear. I have to pry her away for breaks. worried she will get carpel tunnel... so she was doing that... I had t.v. on (Regis & Kelly - I never get to see them) in kitchen while doing dishes. I actually can have moments where doing dishes... unwinds me! I know... truly disturbing... just started this year... and does not happen all the time!!!!! but this Monday, knowing I did not have to be anywhere until 3:30 for a kid appt.... I indulged in filling sink, washes dishes, while Reg and Kel talked about their xmas vacays... Kelly was in the Greek Isles or Virgin Isles or somewhere like that... hmmmmmm.. that must be nice. wonder if she has to de-xmas? I puttered about my kitchen, trying to find top of the island.

Once that was done, I began to gather Christmas decorations. This may sound like nothing to some people, but if you have ever been to my house, seriously, this is a daunting task. As I have been an educator for 20 years (approx.) and my hubby also... we have been given a lot of xmas decorations. And my hubby loves xmas... so he buys it too. seems he cannot resist... so there is a tonne and we put it allllllllllll out! we hang cards on fishing line.... we have fake boughs everywhere... etc. etc.

Looks like the Christmas Department of 100 Walmarts threw up all over my dining room!

after filling the entire dining table with stuff (long table with 2 leaves in it to extend it!). I began trips up and down to basement... NO!!!! I was not taking it down yet! all has to be packed. I began to take large standing things down... like reindeer from front hallway, giant baking gingergread guy from kitchen, giant grinch wooden cut out, etc. and the plastic deck chairs that had been in dining room for big family meal. And on each trip up, I would bring up the empty boxes for the stuff. I also brought up the full containers of stuff I removed to put out the decor.

SEE! This images clearly show "winter" decorations... they should not be put away... Right???

and this is just some... don'cha luvvvv my mitts hanging there... and just some of my snowmen...

LOL...

yes... I am certifiable... we have discussed this remember...

so what was "Missy" doing all this time? well she was reigning supreme of course... as I was trying to listen to t.v. from a different room... she had put on headphones to play computer... she would shout out... in a cute little voice laden with arrogance... "Drink!!!! I need a drink!!!!" and then if I did not hop to it.... I would hear "Helllllllloooooooooooooo! Drink!!!!!" and then "Food! I need foooooood!!!!!" and change my game, turn down the t.v. etc.... etc..... (should have sent her to daycare!)

she would occasionally decide to help me with decorations... which would lead to long discussions about why Christmas is over, when will it be back, where do we keep all this stuff, etc. Then to make matters more confusing... I explained that I keep winter stuff out.... yes, I am one of those people!!!! I keep the snowmen decorations out and the snowflakes on the windows etc. I enjoy them. So she was dragging me good snowflakes towels through the hallway on the floor all excited to chuck them on the table with all the other stuff when I tried to explain... those are winter and they stay out.

we had the occasional friendly argument... me, 39, her, 4, about an item..."that is a moose in a sweater, he is winter, put him back please" and her response... "uhhhhh... MOooommm!!!!! It is reindeer so it is Christmas!" and so I said "ok, you decide".

The best was when I wanted to put her giant Santa away. The grandfather is obsessed with giving my kids gi-nor-mous stuffed animals. He gets a big kick out of it and of course their faces light up... whereas inside I groan to myself... argh! another big space sucker upper and dust collector... (to think I used to collect them as an adult! ya! not anymore!) so anyway... trying to explain to her that we should somehow pack him up with everything else.... no way! no how! She looked slyly at me and tilted her head to one side with the cute tilt she thinks works on everyone, and then the eyes sparkled and she said confidently "He is a winter thing!" and the eyes dared me to argue. In my perpetual exhaustion... I did not.

Then Lil D and I started to take the 7 million ornaments off the tree... I explained we were only taking soft ones off... cuz I did not want her to touch the fragile ones... so this brought about more discussions about hard and soft and why I had plastic ones in the tray and metal ones and wooden ones..... etc. etc. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz many many discussions..... argh! so the tree is still there but all the non fragile items are off.

Big D came home and we got ready for the pediatrician appt. It was pouring out! Major torrential pouring. She was drenched from the short walk. So we got ready and headed out in the car. We had stuff to keep amused as pediatrician office has crappy toys and decor from the 70's (toys from then too I think) and is in ancient building with miniscule parking lot.

of course....!!!!! miniscule parking lot is goddam well filled on pouring day!!!!! F ! F ! F ! ok then sooooooo the drive was stressful enough with sheets of rain and opposing loud Leapster noises filling air from back seat and now this!!! so we park two streets away and I don't have enough coins for meter.... I rolled down window and beg two people to change my bill but first one looks at me like I am nuts! which I am by the way! and second one also looks at me this way but says "sorry lady, I am out of coins." he nods his head ... like he thinks I am a mess.... which frankly I am as rain pours on me... so I takes my chances and pop 2 quarters in meter and then try to convince kids to come out into wind and rain with umbrellas and leapsters... they leave leapsters as they don't want them wet and we head out, getting soaked within moments... and of course... when we get to building, don't we see someone leave a parking space!!!!!!! .... had planned on doing returns after appt but just went the hell home as I was wiped!

continued to de-xmas... made friend a gift... she visited and got gift... bathed kids... looked for new episode of Heroes... goddam repeat and goodnight!

va·ca·tion

• A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.
• A holiday.
• A fixed period of holidays, especially one during which a school, court, or business suspends activities.

no way... is that the definition of vacation... devoted to pleasure, rest or relaxation... stop it!

I am on "vacation" now. To me vacation, means doing the things you want to do... or rather have to do... and don't have time otherwise so you take vacation. LOL

So here is my "To-Do" list for this "Vacation"

• take Lil D to Toys R Us to exchange doll and spend bday g/c she got
• return item to Superstore
• return item to Zellers
• return item to Walmart and pick up shower thingy and return diff one and also drop off glasses as they are making new ones & pick up contacts
• take refundable recyclables back
• mail parcel to English Fam
• mail parcel to Avon
• Big D - pedia appt. DONE! BUT NOW HAVE TO DO WHAT SHE SAID...
• research and select and register resource center
• buy text book for course starts end of month
• chiro appointments
• hair appointment (praying they can fix the current "do")
• spa appointment to enjoy g/c I was given
• De-Xmas entire house --- haha good luck! IN PROGRESS.... ROFL!
• re-organize my closet
• re-organize Big D room and closet
• re-organize Lil D room and closet
• attack playroom with a vengeance
• go through cupboards in kitchen re: canned good inventory
• basement! tidy kid's section and get xmas boxes DONE!
• mittens, hats & scarves in new location
• drawers and cupboards in blue bathroom! argh!
• go for some walks
• make bday prez for friend DONE!
• scrapbook
• make xmas dvd
• blog IN PROGRESS
• payroll DONE!
• other paperwork from work
• end the avon selling stuff, review files and close out

what do you think... nothing like having nothing planned right??? BAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAH

OH WELL... IF I don't get it all done... I have a list I can access... right???? LOL