Back in my day...

Ahh, New Year's Eve. A night for celebration. A night for excitement. A night for confetti, noise makers, party hats, and adult beverages.

For some of you.

For me? I count myself lucky that I managed to stay awake for the first time in years.

It wasn't a bad night. Quite nice, actually. Enjoyed a late Christmas with family in Tennessee. Lounged on the comfy leather sofa with my sister, our husbands in the man chairs to either side. We speculated about the over-hyped Snooki ball drop, felt mildly uncomfortable watching Dick Clark, and flipped channels between various televised celebrations. We had full bellies from mom's delicious cooking and enjoyed the comfort and quiet of home.

And then it hit me...

Wordless Wednesday: Sunny December

With family in different states, we travel quite a bit for Christmas every year. Sometimes we make a special pit stop for just the three of us. This year? Melbourne, FL. We were blessed with a sunny day so we could say hi to the ocean.

Good morning, ocean

 

Towards the water & sun

Sand between those cute little toes

Running with Daddy

Discoveries

Ladybug enjoyed the trip too!

A little focus, please

Amelia is a very lucky and spoiled girl. She's the youngest on one side of the family, and the only grandchild on the other. Between Santa, grandparents, aunts and uncles, she came away with a truckload of new toys for Christmas.

I was soooo looking forward to these new toys. Winter weather traps us indoors most every day, and I had high hopes for the excitement of new playthings. So why is Amelia playing with each toy a matter of 3 to 5 minutes?

She needs help getting a game set up - but she won't finish playing it with me.

She bounces on her new trampoline - for about 45 seconds.

She drives her new Tinkerbell big wheel around the house - until she spots yet another toy.

She plays her electronic drum pad for a couple minutes. She colors for several seconds. And in between each activity, she calls out for Mommy. She wants help getting something out. She wants me to play something new. She decides to have a snack break.

These new toys didn't help me one bit! I'm busier than I was before Christmas. Crossing my mommy fingers that this is just a phase from the excitement of it all.

Hopes & Dreams

Wow, 2011 is here. Decades ago, people swore we'd be zipping around in spaceship cars and being served by robot butlers by now. We've seen some pretty amazing advancements in technology and medicine, but no spaceship car in my garage yet. And the only person serving me food and drink is... well... me.

My life has certainly changed since the 1980s and 1990s. I'm a (gasp!) grown-up now. I have a few gray hairs and some crinkles around my eyes. I'm a wife and a mom. A mom to a kid who is going to turn three this year. I've been out of college for twelve years.