ok, ok - I'm back. Worst blogger ever...

Sorry for the pause in your irregularly scheduled operations while we "did" the holidays (and I just didn't feel like posting, darn it!).

Where are we now?

You know I do have stories to tell you, but somehow launching into my diatribe about everyone having a cold through Christmas, then getting 30 inches of snow while visiting my Mom, followed by the baby getting some sort of stomach virus the middle of Mon night/Tues morn before we started the drive back south (with the REST OF HUMANITY, mind you!), which took 8 hours instead of 4-5 - though admittedly that was because of the long stop when the monkey projectile vomitted... Well, that just seems wrong now doesn't it? (Um, did that count as a rant?)

Anyway - though it does provide a more colorful anecdote, it's not a really good picture of our Christmas, as truly - it was rather nice (minus masses of mucus and ... oh, sorry, sorry!). After all the flurry of getting ready (why didn't I start earlier?), we were actually mostly ready for Christmas when it came.

Santa came to our house on the morning of the 24th and we opened gifts with our own little family then. It was nice and fun. The monkey got a play-doh grocery store "kit" that Mommy and Daddy really wanted to play with (funny how Santa knows! And why didn't they have things this cool when I was this age?) as well as a few other small toys (many of which are already driving me nuts!) and one spring dress (with matching dress for a doll!) that I couldn't resist. So nothing too too crazy. We knew too too crazy was coming yet!

That afternoon we went to church (where the monkey who loves opening and closing things discovered the fly on Daddy's pants - "ooh, zipper!" and started opening it while the woman sitting next to my husband tried to contain her laughter. Seriously, he's thinking - look, I swear I didn't teach her this! Please don't call protective services! while he tried to redirect.) and headed to my in-laws for dinner and the first round of family and gifts.

The monkey made out like a bandit, of course! And got into the gift opening (though she likes paper and boxes best) - so she just started opening everyone's presents. It was actually rather fun to watch (and luckily she's the only kid there, so no one cared).

The next morning we did the trek up to my Mom's and just had time to unload the car and get dressed before heading to see one side of the family for dinner. After dinner (and more presents for the monkey there), we headed to other side for dessert (and my New Year's resolution will involve not eating that twice in a day this year...) and, you guessed it, more presents!

After staying up too late a 2nd night in a row, we took her back to my Mom's and hoped for sleep. We got... some. As it was Sunday, we were back at church again and then - time for presents with my Mom! Sadly by this point the monkey was actually starting to weary of getting gifts. She just wanted to play with what she had - and nap! I think she was a bit overwhelmed - I mean, she had one of those ride in electric cars at my Mom's! (It was a hand me down rather than an actual gift, but it was in great condition and, seriously, who cares?) We had to stop midway through gift opening for a nap and dinner and she finally made it through. (I didn't want to push - opening gifts is really supposed to be a FUN activity! Not work!)

Given the plague on our house (ok, a cold) and the "snow-icane" (i.e. blizzard of 30 inches), we were pretty well quarantined the rest of the trip.

And there you have it.

Did I live up to the hype? Yeah, probably not... ;)