The Family of Drama

I am so blessed to be a part of a large family.  I may have grown up not really knowing who I am, but I have always known I was a part of something.  My mom had five brothers and sisters, and each of them had at least one child.  Two grandparents, eight aunts and uncles, nine cousins and one sibling... and that's just on my mom's side.

I've come to realize that our family unit is like a season of Big Brother, without all the cameras.  Alliances are constantly shifting depending on the task of the week, and - on occasion - people are evicted from the house.  At the end of it, there is a realization that we love each other very much despite hating the game we are each playing.

Add a touch (OK, more than a touch) of dramatic tendencies, and we are an interesting bunch.  We grew up with family being central to everything we did.  Our grandparents lived a matter of blocks from us, and we spent almost as much time at their house with our cousins as we did at home.  Some chose to move away, some didn't have the choice but were away nonetheless, but the rest of us were there.  My cousins were more like siblings to me; ironically, my brother always introduced me as The Spawn of Satan.

As we grow older, and our numbers keep growing through marriages and births, I feel increasingly lucky that I am still close with almost everyone.  There are times when the drama is stifling (especially when I'm at the center of it), but I have always felt sorry for those people with little to no family.  As much as we irritate each other, we also have each other's backs.  And we are provided with built-in entertainment.

Next year will bring (at least) three more births for the family, so I'm feeling a bit sentimental.  I'm so grateful for all of my family and the joy they bring.  I feel so blessed to be a part of a large family!

17 days until Christmas!

I sit here staring at Frosty the Snowman who - in blazing red lights - is reminding me that I only have 17 days until Christmas.  17 days sounds fine until you break it down into two weeks plus three days.  That's not fine for someone who has a lot of family and an empty wallet.  What to do?

Regift and craft!  That's my plan... yet I haven't gotten off my patootey and started the crafting.  A procrastinator by nature (because I over plan rather than a lazy streak), this means I'll be scrambling as I get closer to the big day.  Luckily, my son is pretty much out of the way.  He is at the age where I can shop in front of him, and he has no clue!  Thank God for small favors.

That leaves the rest of them.  So, I'm going to cut this post short, put on some Christmas music, get the other chores out of the way... and START!  Wish me luck!

It's Amazing What Happens When You Sleep

I've spent most of the past month (or more) existing on an average of 5 hours a sleep per night.  Many of you may not think that is a big deal, but you are looking at a woman that once required a minimum of 10 hours to funciton.  Then Mommyhood happened.

Ever since the infernal time change, our little Mister has been waking up not only several times through the night but at an ungodly hour to boot.  It wasn't just the time change that was the problem.  He tends to cut multiple teeth at a time, and he has been working on four molars (at once!) for some time now.  Not to mention, we've had a lot of company, and I'm always afraid of waking someone up.  You got it!  That means mommy came running whenever she heard even a peep.

One thirty, three thirty and finally at six thirty for good.  Six thirty in the morning is just fine for people that go to bed at decent hours, but I tend to get to sleep well after midnight.  Ok, before you start throwing the blame at me, let me explain!  My husband usually works the closing shift at Costco, so by the time I finish getting the munchkin fed, ready for bed and all tucked in, it is time to start making dinner for me and the hubby.  If I want any time with him, after he gets home and we eat is the time to do it.

Now, another posting is the time to discuss our addiction to reality television and all the major dramas.  This one is about sleep.  When I was getting little to none, I was a mommy zombie.  I was awake and moving, I could make barely intelligible talk-like noises, and I could get the basics done.  But that was it!  Anything more, and I needed to nap when Mister napped.  All of you other toddler mommies know that naptime is prime "git 'er done" time, so napping when he naps sucks the entire day away.  Yup, the nefarious Catch 22.

The past two nights, though, my little man has slept all the way through and allowed me a blessed eight hours.  Do you know how much I've achieved in the past two days?  Let's just say there was a tree that got decorated, a haircut, two dinners and a batch of cookies thrown into the usual baby-wrangling, eBay listing, picking up after three Tasmanian devils mix.

All hail sleep!  Send some positive thoughts my way for tonight, would ya?!?