Merry Christmas Eve

Although my primary feeling is one of just relief that it’s almost over. This has been a crappy little Christmas season for me… but at the end of it, I know that skipping it will make it possible for the rabbi to officially convert the kids, which was critical for me. So no regrets – but a nagging suspicion that next year, I’m putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving and celebrating the hell out it 🙂

It’s been an off sort of month… with no school FOREVER and lots and lots of kids over here, it’s been crazy and hectic and stressful, even before adding on the disappointment from my family over my not getting a tree. Plus I’m worried about Becky and there are issues with one of Marc’s friends… it’s been a not entirely pleasant time.

Kids are both doing well – Jess is still so amazing to me, and I find something new and exciting to love about her all the time. She’s in the middle of so many ‘firsts’ – her first shower all by herself was a momentous occasion, the first time she changed a diaper, the first time she read a book. The reading thing is HUGE for me… I think it’s my favorite milestone of all time, other than talking. I’m so proud of her. We had a ginormous fight the other night, with tears and hysteria resulting in vomit all over her booster seat. There’s almost nobody who can infuriate me as much as my daughter… and when it was all over, and I had cleaned her up, gotten her into jammies and rocked her to sleep in my arms, it was such a sweet, tender time for the two of us. It’s a magical thing, the relationship between Jessica and I. I can’t imagine how I ever existed without her.

And my Sam – now that he’s talking, it’s so MUCH FUN. He was such a miserable baby, with the colic and the reflux, I feel like he’s making up for all of it by being this utterly amazing little creature. He’s such a joy, so happy and calm. As long as I don’t bring him to parties (he literally screamed “Get me out of here” over and over again when we went to the Backiel’s Christmas party – and threw a forty five minute screaming fit at the Hanukkah party), he’s really just always a source of happiness for me. He’s Marc… just exactly like him. Jess is a little mini-me, all emotional intensity and drama, and Sam just clicks along, just like his father, nothing really bothers him, he’s always up for a smile or a little chat. He’s so earnest and funny and sweet. I adore him.