The holidays have been wonderful and challenging. We've learned a lot of lessons over the past few years that have helped us manage all of the craziness around the holidays ... and sometimes I just black it all out and don't remember until I'm in the thick of it -- yeah, that's a bad idea. Here are a few of our experiences -- both good and bad.
- Breakfast with Santa. Why do we go? Too many kids, too much sugar and Santa is a really scary guy up close. This year we were smarter, but I really wonder why I even wanted to take on the challenge.
We arrived late. No big mosh pit of little kids rushing Santa. When it was time to line up to see Santa -- even though we had a number -- it was overwhelming for London and Violet wasn't very happy about it either. This year, when London started to bite my arm, we moved to the side and he calmed down almost immediately. Whew. After we talked with Santa, we went to my quiet office to play. Not bad. Could be better. - The Nutcracker. London and I were kicked out of the show two years ago. This year, Violet & I went with friends. I had planned on leaving at intermission, but decided to stay. Bad call. We made it, but just barely.
- Christmas morning. We took our time that morning. London spent a few hours building his new Lego train which required help from us and caused a lot of frustration. Not bad, could be better.
- Christmas vacation. I thought it would be a really great idea to go away for a few days between Christmas and New Years. Just a short drive north to Wisconsin for sledding and an indoor water park. Violet had the hardest time with so much activity and missed naps. London had a few challenges but handled all of the new experiences very well. Pretty good. Maybe a do-over.