Back to Reality ~ and a peek into our vacation days at home.

7:34am

"Anna, you should be okay walking to school with your sneakers.  Just be careful of any icy spots.  Okay?"

"Sneakers?!  Oh no, I need  PE clothes," she panics.  "But I still have to get my viola."

So I run upstairs to get her gym clothes.  I pack them in her newly organized, ready for the new semester backpack.  Why did we forget the PE clothes last night?

"Mommy, where is my backpack?"  She's now in a full out fit knowing that four minutes will completely change her day.

"It's in the mud room right where it should be."

"But I have to check to make sure my orchestra music is inside!"

She checks.  It's not there.  She checks the music basket in our living room.  It's not there.  So she begins to quickly put on her coat, scarf, and gloves.  And I check the living room finding her music half under the couch.  Although I'm not sure it's her music.  All of the different orchestras she's in have the same looking black folder.  But it was it.

I help her on with her too heavy backpack because she hates the feeling of her long hair smashed under the straps.

I take a deep breath.  On to help Abigail with eating her breakfast (no easy task for an EoE kid).  I know I'll have to watch the clock carefully.  I'm showered, hair done, make up on, but I'm still wearing my mommy clothes and need to look like a teacher in fifteen minutes.  But more important are the two medicines I have to get down into her stomach before she gets out the door.  Both of which she hates.  Along with a formula she's still drinking.

Success.

8:20 am

I sat on the floor today in the kitchen with Abigail.  It was minutes before we had to get in the car to go to school but she had to have her new necklaces on.  They came in a set of three.  But they were all tangled together.  "You don't have to wear all three together," I told her.

"But mommy, I want to wear them."

My hands worked fast and I tried to undo the first knot as quickly as I could.  "You'll be late for your first day back.  I'll do my best."

"That's okay mommy.  You don't have to."  Which made me want to get those necklaces untangled even more.

Two stayed knotted on the floor but I got the one with the tiny heart and the "A" in the middle.  And she was happy.

I took a deep breath and we started again.

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But before all that there were a bunch of wonderful vacation days. One spilling into another. Here's a little look into them.



Santa gave the girls geodes.



The perfect after church activity!





I took that one for the sun on her hair.



But I took that one for the closed eyes!



Now as soon as Christmas ends I start baking. What, you say?







Baking is my joy. It relaxes me. Nothing says vacation days like something in the oven. And I love to try out all of the Christmas recipes I didn't get to before Christmas.



And we ate and ate and ate all week long.



We played games (while we ate)



We celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. (my favorite day of church all year)



The girls crafted.







And we found the alligator head puzzle piece.



We put together a quick party for just us on New Years Eve.



I made the food and the girls (with daddy) made the decorations.



We covered the unused Christmas popper with Happy New Year.



And dressed up

















This happened



And just when I was sad taking it all down we got a bit of snow which warmed my heart and made decorating for January that much sweeter.



Happy New Year!