The Long Holiday Post

I've got so much to catch up on... let's see... IN THE PAST WEEK we've been to the Steelers v. Titan's game (sorry, Steelers... we were rooting for you), shopping, a limo ride to see the lights around town, Jack Daniel's making place, honkey-tonking, Christmas Eve-ing, and Christmasing. We've had in laws in town all week and we had a blast! Seriously, so much good food, good humor, well-planned events - all made even more fun by Lee's home brew family togetherness.

The kids were blessed by Santa and have been playing non-stop for the past 2 days. My mother, her husband and my grandmother also were here Christmas Day - making it even more complete.

I'm posting some pictures now. Thanks to Zia for actually carrying a camera around and giving me copies. For any family reading - THANK YOU for traveling, being here and helping make this one of the best Christmases ever. And Happy Holidays to all of our other friends and family who we didn't get to see in person.

Zia and Little Bitty ~ Christmas Time Love

Most of our Motley Crew in the Holiday Lights Tour Limo

The Cuz and her hubby ~ their first time to Nashville and they did it up right.

Nonno ready to cheer on the Steelers!

The kids love some Zia and Uncle Pete!
Brother is all smiles after opening his Millennium Falcon

Little Bitty cookin' up some Christmas breakfast

The kids are ready to eat and not in the mood for more pics

Two handsome Italians preparing our Christmas Eve dinner

The girls out honkey-tonking

And that (in a nutshell) was the Team T holiday of 2008. Perfect.

A quicky

• The kids are doing better. Brother and I are headed to a birthday party this afternoon. Just the two of us.
• Little Bitty continues to do the opposite of what I say ~ but she's doing it with a smile today.
• Today was a snow day - sans the snow. Gotta love the South. Or not... ;)
• Have I mentioned we're potty training? This mainly means that I get a prize each from Little Bitty each time I use the potty.
• We got new floors in the bottom half of our house. As long as I don't think about the (eventual - no interest for a year! whoohoo!) cost of them - I really like them!
• We're about to go outside and play in the non-snow. Which really is much better than the conference call I had scheduled.

Happy Friday!

The art of juggling

Every once in a while I feel like all my parenting skills have gone down the drain and that my kids are two odd little creatures who probably need some sort of psychological intervention. Some days it all seems overwhelming and I don't know how people do it right... well, and many don't do it right - that's what scares me. What if I'm one of the ones messing up my kids?!

It donned on me over the last couple of days that I haven't spent enough one on one time with Brother lately. Well, it more accurately smacked me in the forehead due to some of his behaviors and things he said. And then as I'm feeling guilty about this and trying to make a plan to focus a little more on him - Little Bitty starts acting out like some sort of temperamental little tyrant. She's perfectly sweet and pleasant as long as everything is going exactly how SHE wants it. Are you singing a little too loud? Look out - you're gonna get hit. Is it not her day to open the advent calendar? God help us. Did you give her the light orange lion sippy cup instead of the dark orange lion sippy cup? Watch for a full on meltdown. She can't have chocolate for dinner? Well, family dinner may be ruined due to her crying.

So - the challenge is how do you successfully give your little guy the attention he needs for just being a good little guy - while also giving your little girl the attention she needs to help her learn that this two-year-old behavior, while age appropriate, is not going to be acceptable long term? It's a constant balancing act and while I do believe that I do it pretty well most of the time... some days it all just crashes down on my head. And on those days I just hope that "pretty well most of the time" is good enough.

Let's get this party started...

We're home from our Florida trip. It was great - I am so lucky to have such a flexible job. I worked while Brother and Little Bitty played with Grammy and Zia. We also shopped, saw manatees, played with the obscene amount of toys that my in laws have, went to an upside down Wonder House place with a magic show (the kids both LOVED this and it was fun for adults), and my husband and I got a couple days alone at the conference hotel. All in all a great trip and well worth the 12 hour (each way) drive. Our kids really are great travelers - I guess they have to be considering the amount we haul them around the country.

Quotes from the trip:

• Oh dear... now I can't find Obiwonkanobi's (yea, no idea how to spell that) head.
• Me toot on your head.
• Do you think Santa knows the difference between a storm trooper and a clone warrior?
• Santa scare me.
• I miss Daddy. He's my best friend.
• No, get your own.
• I don't want to leave until I get a good look at the manatee's tail.

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The next two weeks shall be spent preparing for many family visitors coming for Christmas. I'm excited to do up the decorating and have visions of a Martha Stewart-esque holiday assortment of goodies placed around the house, both edible and just decorative- all handmade by me. In reality, I'll be lucky to have the laundry done and enough vodka diet coke in the house for everyone. But, it will be fun.