Red Pencil Diaries

So Dave and I were discussing New Year's Eve. We usually go to a friend's party that night. Last year, we even took Zack to the party and he was super great--slept the whole time, really, but wasn't fussy at all. This year, we weren't sure what we were going to do. But we both realized that we hadn't received the usual email invite to the party. Hmmmm. I think we should just stay home anyway. Zack just can't stay occupied and we have no one to sit for us anyway.

I'm thinking I might try to get some cheeses and crackers and champagne and maybe Dave and I can indulge ourselves on some good food and watch the ball drop in Times Square from our living room. I think our days of grabbing a buzz and partying are pretty much over. *sigh*

I hung a mistletoe ball with a bell from the doorway to our main hallway. Zack loves to bat at the bell and make it ring when we walk under it. I always have to steel a kiss from him too. He cackles and laughs and giggles. I'm almost sad to take it down.

Christmas was good this year. No, great. We had such fun giving Zack gifts and watching him light up when he saw his Weebly Wobbly Treehouse (weebles treehouse) on Christmas morning was just wonderful. He loves that thing. He plays with it so much. He of course got too many toys--I was telling people to get him clothes, but with kids, it seems no one can help buying anything but toys until they get older. So he got tons of noise makers with buttons and wheels. And we had lots of great food. My family came over on Sunday evening. We all fixed just some appetizers and stuff. I actually made (from scratch) lamb samosas (indian pastries stuffed with lamb, peas, spices, onions). They were really great! I even made the pastry crust.

Yesterday we drove down to visit Dave's family. It was a nice trip overall, I guess. Zack wouldn't nap, so he got really grumpy. He walked around fussing and crying. Dave got him to nap for a few minutes in his lap. But that wasn't enough. It's rough to try to keep a baby occupied when he's super sleepy. I was happy to get him back home.

Today Dave and I took Zack to Chuck E. Cheese. He seemed to really love it. We played tons of games and scored some tickets--enough to get him a cool purple slinky. He rode a couple of rides. We shares some pizza and buffalo wings. Overall, it was a good family outing.

It's just incredibly fun to realize that we can go places with him now and he genuinely has fun. He laughs and runs around and eats and smiles and claps. He's just the most adorable kid.

I can't wait to go again. lol... I love the games.

I've been running the vacuum and picking up around the living room and dining room while Zack naps. I have the TV on AMC and I'm watching When Harry Met Sally. I LOVE this movie. It's one of my favorites. The dialog in it is just wonderful. So many great lines. I know it's considered to be a chick flick. But I think it's a movie that lots of people can relate to. It shows the guy side of relationships and the woman's side. Which is why I think it's so entertaining.

Anyway, I sat down to watch it for a minute and I just had to blog. It's snowing outside. It's definitely starting to feel Christmasy. I wrapped almost all of our presents this weekend. We have the tree decorated in the basement and a small tree upstairs (up high on a table so Zack can't reach it--although he can reach some of the lower branches and often pulls off those ornaments). I have wreaths and garland hanging above the living room windows and a small but festive tinselly (sp?) tree in the dining room.

We took Zack to see Santa at the mall yesterday. We stood in this long line--but it moved really fast. It's not like Zack really knows who Santa is or anything. But we just felt it was something we should do. Dave and I both have pictures of ourselves as children sitting in Santa's lap through the years. I guess it's more tradition than anything. Zack didn't smile, but he also didn't throw a fit. So the pictures are cute. It's kind of our first family Christmas where Zack is more aware of things. He likes toys and playing. He gets excited and claps at various things. He loves the holiday decorations and lights. Seeing the holiday through the eyes of your child can really change your mood. I had been feeling kind of down and bah humbug about it for awhile. But I got most of my shopping done early, so now we don't have to rush through the crowds and fight the mall. And even though our big plan for putting lights on the house didn't work out, we do have a few things up outside, so it looks kinda nice.

I'm a sucker for big tacky displays of holiday lights. When I was growing up, we used to pile in the car and drive around to neighborhoods looking at lights. I want to do that with Zack too, but I'm not sure he really sees them all right now. He's easily distracted.

Dave headed out to The Pub with the guys. Zack and I have ordered some pizza and are waiting for it to be delivered. It's just a cold Friday night. Zack has decided my purse is his new toy. He's actually carrying it around. I keep thinking of that Seinfeld episode where they had manpurses and kept saying "it's European!" lol

We don't really have any plans for the evening, except eating pizza and probably playing blocks. And then when Zack gets sleepy, we'll fix some milk and watch TV until he's drowsy. Ahhh the night time rituals of a toddler.

Zack is walking around the house with this light tester for our Christmas lights. It has a little red indicator light and a trigger, so it looks like some kind of red and green holiday ray gun. He thinks it's the best toy ever. So I'm letting him play with it for awhile. It's cold and his diaper had leaked when he slept, so when he woke up, I concocted some sort of warm but mismatched outfit for him. Light yellow knit pajama pants, an orange long sleeve tshirt with a cowboy on the front, bright egg yellow socks. He's quite a sight. But he's warm and for now, we aren't going anyplace, so for now, I'll just quietly laugh at the fashion freak I've created.

I can't get used to the cold weather. I was hoping that slightly warmish air would hang out here all winter. Keep things at least in the 40s or 50s. I'd have been happy. But bitter cold wind hitting your face in the middle of a sunny day is quite harsh. I was thinking of taking Zack to the store in a bit. Maybe we will. Maybe I will get lazy again and skip it. We'll see.

Last weekend we went to the holiday celebration in Glendale, Ky (just south of Elizabethtown). They light up the little town and people shop in the shops and antique stores and eat at the Depot or the Whistle Stop Cafe. We chose the Depot and had a really good dinner. But the day turned rainy and awfully cold. I kept hoping it would turn to snow because then at least it wouldn't seem so nasty. But it didn't. So Zack got grumpy and we had to go. We did manage to get to a few antique shops and I bought a set of turquoise canisters from the 1950s. I was still inspired when I got home and set out on eBay to see if I could find some slightly cheaper versions of the Blue Heaven dinnerware I'd fallen in love with at the antique stores. At the Glendale shops, they were asking $27 for a platter. I didn't buy it. But on eBay, I bid $20 for an auction of a 32 piece set of the dinnerware. I figured I'd never win a whole set of the pattern if a platter sells for $27. I was wrong. I won the whole set. So now I'm waiting to receive my lovely 1950s/1960s dinnerware set with turquoise blue trim. yay! Like a little present for myself and my kitchen!

So today, all I've said so far is "No." And "No, Zack." And "Zack!" And a couple of times, "Pebbles!" Do you know what it's like to have day after day of this type of conversation? And all I get in return is a grunt or snort or "Momma." lol... Don't get me wrong, I do love it. And then sometimes, I feel like a crazy person, desperate for conversation.

I think this afternoon, I am going to take Zack to the mall. It was actually snowing here a bit ago. So we can walk around inside, which will be nice. But I also want to go adopt an Angel Tree child. I meant to do this last year, but Zack was so tiny and we didn't get out much, so I never quite got around to doing it. But this year, I am going to do it early.

Oh, and I have the TV on and I am SUPER SICK of the Kirstie Alley/Jenny Craig commercials. Sure, she's lost weight, but with camera trickery (and long dresses and boots), they are trying to hide the fact that she still has quite a pooch and really big legs. I'm not saying she doesn't look better, I'm just saying that from one camera angle, she looks much thinner than she does when they pan the camera back and show the "blurry" full body shots. Plus, even through that thick fabric, you can make out those tight foundation garments they've squeezed her into. I just wish they'd show her how she really is. As a real person. And not all made up with 2 inches of makeup and huge hair to downplay her still round face. She was a big woman. Now she's a bit smaller. I am glad she came forward and is doing something and showing people it can happen, but I just feel like they glam her up so much to make her look both younger and smaller than she is. Oh well.

Enough of my complaints. I think I'm just having one of those days. I'm hoping it will get better.