Category: Humor

I’d love to show off all my wonderful pictures of Turkey Day and tell you how spectacular the day was, but you know me better than that. I don’t sugar coat anything and let’s face it Holidays bring out the best and WORST in people.

It all started out benign enough, quick trip to Chicago for a laid back visit and some turkey. Well, traveling all over Chicago with a four year old and eighteen month old is anything but laid back.

I have to admit that I wasn’t the greatest role model, because {as usual} I had procrastinated on the packing part. As I was rummaging through laundry baskets of clean clothes that were yet to meet drawers or hangers after two weeks, I became angrier and angrier. This did not bode well for those in my path. After finally finding my undies, and packing both boys clothes, toys and other odd ball necessities we were ready to hit the road.

But the anger was still there along with an annoying eye twitch that deserves a blog post all to itself, as it drove the knife of insanity further into my psyche.

As the miles passed I pondered turning back, saying to hell with it. There will always be next year, plus the fact that over half of B2’s family wasn’t even there to join us in Chicago. However, I didn’t want to disappoint B2’s mom and his cousin, and I REALLY wanted to see our wonderful friends whom we only see at Thanksgiving, and stay at White Pines.

So we plundered on.

Even though the boys fought in the backseat, and their thanksgiving dinner consisted of buns and fruit {thank goodness grandma brought fruit}, and E sang “Bob the Builder” twenty million times and I don’t thing either one of them slept more than five hours each night, and my frustration level was at code orange, I was able {as best I could} to hold it together, so I could enjoy some of those little moments that make your heart melt…

Like singing Christmas carols in the car.

Listening to E and G “talk” to each other in their room.

Feeding G pumpkin pie.

Finding pennies at the cabin in White Pines.

Seeing Santa Claus without a line, and watching E just chat with him like he was his best friend.

Watching G flip out about seeing Santa, and Max the parrot.

Picking out a Christmas tree in the rain.

And that is what a “real” holiday is all about.  The good, the great and of course the ugly.

When I was little I dreaded sitting at the kids table. It was banished to the bowels of the basement, and the worst part – it was full of all my boy cousins. Who had a knack for throwing food and being EXTREMELY loud for no apparent reason other than to hear the sound of their own obnoxious voices.

I love to read.

A good book can stimulate the creative juices.

Transport you another time or place.

And in my case, provide me with some much needed quiet time.

I do some of my reading snuggled up in bed in cozy PJ’s or in the car waiting for the gym to open at 5:30 a.m. and here…

Yep, people I do the majority of my reading in the bathroom.

Seriously it’s the perfect place. Privacy with locked doors to prevent the invasion of little people, and it’s quiet.

The key is to not make it obvious, because once they (the hubby and the boys) are on to your secret you’re done. I almost gave it away once when B2 asked if I was feeling OK because I had made one too many visits to the loo, when in actuality I was desperately trying to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I just told him Aunt Flo was visiting and that shut him up. No guy wants any part of that, not even the hubby.

Also, keep in mind this isn’t the type thing you “take on the road”. I never pull a George Costanza and sneak a book into the Barnes and Noble bathroom. I do have some scruples…plus they will make you pay for it if you do. I’m just sayin’.

There’s my secret. I have finished multitudes of novels sitting right there. I’m all about maximizing every single itty bitty minute of time and that’s how I roll people.

So if you will excuse me I’m off to the loo. I’m in the middle of reading Chasing Harry Winston, and it’s getting pretty good.

Ciao!