3: 49p – Coerce 3-year-old into going potty. Change 1-year-old’s diaper. Tuck both girls into bed with their favorite stuffed animals and a kiss. Resist the urge to shout “I’M FREE!!!” as you close their bedroom door.
4:01p – Turn on your favorite Christmas movie of all time, “Love Actually,” and instantly glow from the loveliness it exudes. Retrieve secret cookie recipes from vault and begin to whisk ingredients while watching Colin Firth. Feel sure Mrs. Claus never had it so good.
4:11p – Hear suspicious noise from girls’ room. Pause movie.
4:12p – Discover 1-year-old has managed to turn on the bedroom lights and is sitting in the Lego bin. Put her back to bed. Stuffed animals, kisses, etc.
4:15p – Restart movie and whip butter as light and fluffy as your heart currently feels. Think jolly thoughts. Occasionally swipe a handful teensy taste of cookie dough.
4:26p – Hear suspicious noise from girls’ room. Turn off mixer. Pause movie.
4:27p – Discover 1-year-old sitting in a pile of books, rapturously tearing out pages. Put her back to bed with stuffed animals and admonishments. Pretend not to notice her springing up as you shut the door.
4:30p – Restart movie. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, roll cookies, and deposit in the oven. Sit down to start on secret sparkly elf tasks.
4:39p – Hear suspicious noise from girls’ room. Pause movie. Think bad words.
4:40p – Discover 1-year-old halfway up the ladder to her sister’s bunk bed. (Sister is giggling uncontrollably and egging her on.) Tuck her back in bed with mild threats.
4:43p – Restart movie. Have a hard time concentrating on elfin responsibilities with all the crashes and shouts of glee coming from the girls’ room. Remove first of 400 batches of Christmas cookies from the oven.
4:51p – Can no longer ignore the sounds of merriment issuing from the girls’ room. Pause movie. Say bad words.
4:52p – Discover 3-year-old hanging off the top bunk and 1-year-old dancing a jig on top of her toy dumptruck. Notice a decidedly un-festive odor surrounding her. Escort 3-year-old to the potty and change 1-year-old’s diaper. Identify with the Grinch. Strongly.
4:58p – Duct-tape 1-year-old into bed. Agree to let 3-year-old, who says she is not tired, not at all tired, in fact she has never been less tired, can’t she stay up, pleeeeeeaaaase? play quietly on the living room floor amidst the remnants of your Christmas spirit.
5:01p – Eject movie. Retrieve sense of humor. Turn on holly-jolly dancing tunes and bake the remaining 399 batches of cookies with the sweetest (and most talkative!) 3-year-old helper this side of the North Pole. Dream up Christmas goodies for favorite husband and daughters and know with certainty that Mrs. Claus never had it so good.
I was reading along finding a big smile on my face. “Identify with the Grinch” cracked me up! Your patience is wonderful and you are making sweet memories for your children.
Speaking of grinchiness, either our delicious italian recipe is written on the back of the Christmas letter in invisible ink, or…?
We did, however, enjoy your lists very much.
Sounds familiar. 🙂 Conlan naps in a portacrib during nap time for that very reason.
I keep meaning to tell you that I received your lovely post the other day. Thanks so much. I can't wait to try out the recipe & the chocolate was divvy. Natalie LOVED it (she is a big Dark Chocolate girl). :::kisses:::
Immersion – Thanks! (Though I’m positive some of my girls’ sweet memories will be of me nervously breaking down!)
Tom – Hmmm… I sent the recipe on the 9th, so it definitely should have arrived. If you want, I can e-mail it to you… but I do hope the actual envelope arrives soon! (There may or may not be extra goodies in it. Ahem.)
Kelly – Oh, if only we had room for a portacrib! ::Goes to put Sophie back to bed for the thousandth time::
Nino – I’m so glad you got it! Tell me how the recipe goes once you try it (and if your Natalie likes dark chocolate, you should try sprinkling some on top. Sublime!).
what a great christmas movie. 🙂 I introduced my roomie to it just last week. I own a copy of it labelled “blockbuster” cause I checked it out and never returned it…shh… 😉
You haven’t blogged since Dec 19 — everything okay?? Miss you!
Happy HAPPY New Year, Bethany!!
Thank you so so so much for the beautiful tiramisu recipe– it will be the first dessert recipe I make in the year 2009!
Sending you warmest wishes and hoping your holidays got more with the merry and less with the grinchy although MAN, you do have the patience award locked up!!
Bisous, bp
Sarah Jo – My lips are sealed.
Liz – I’m back! I can explain! No, really! My dog ate it, I swear! 🙂
BP – Do let me know how the tiramisu turns out when you make it! (Note to self: Go thou and do likewise.)