Even though New Years isn’t quite
here yet, I’d say it is safe to say we survived the Holidays. Our budget for Christmas gifts, dinners and
parties worked out beautifully! We made sure with each month’s breakdown, we
always had an idea of how much more money we’d need at that point to put aside and truthfully it
all could not have gone better!(Unless, of course, Santa had brought us the winning lotto ticket or blue prints for where to strike oil or gold in our own backyard) But really, I was the one whose survival could have
been leaning toward a Mama-sized meltdown. It was never a question for my
Husband. He is pretty laid back most of the time and by now has a general idea
of when to take a front seat to my insanity and just enjoy or jump into the
craziness and lend an oven-mitted hand.
Even our little man was more than a trooper. Faced with the non-stop over
stimulation of Christmas Eve, his own 2nd Birthday Party, Christmas
Day and all of my 'must have' memories cram packed in between, he still was a picture perfect little boy!
But me, I am the one who builds up
this idea in my mind of all the wonderful plans of what I’d like to do for the
Holidays. And now with our son’s Birthday celebrations added, my list of
‘must-haves’ has probably at least doubled in size. We have to bake this (and
this and this and this and this), hang the decorations, take a Christmas card
photo, visit with Santa, attend one Christmas/Holiday light/music show, drive
around and see the lights, find some snow, watch Christmas movies…
etc..etc..etc. And then with the
hosting of our little man’s 2nd Birthday, I had even more grand plans
of how I wanted things to go down. So needless to say, I can easily become one
stressed out Mama. (by my own doing of course!) I made a point though, to keep
myself in check as much as possible, after all, things don’t have to go perfectly
to make a great memory and Lord knows with a toddler on your heels, plans can
change in an instant…or just take hours longer to get started than you had
anticipated (or come to an end even quicker!).
Harder than keeping a harness on
my overly zealous memorandum, was watching my precious little boy officially
leaving behind babyhood and making a full on leap into toddler hood. I find it
almost impossible to wrap my mind around the fact that this little being was
once nestled inside of my belly, all safe and warm. Whose personality and gorgeously handsome
looks was only something I could dream of.
And who then started off life so tiny (and quite wrinkly!) and has now grown
into his own little person with ideas and imagination and opinions. Who is now
not just off and running, but jumping and skipping and somersaulting all over
the place(even in the middle of the Target)! Whose ‘repeat everything I hear’
button is firmly turned ON 99% of the time and whose keen observation for only
having to see something once before he can do it himself, has now taken
hold. Whose little heart has started to
develop empathy for other’s bumps and bruises that might require hugs and kisses
for healing (or a barrage of concerned questioning concerning a possible poopage
in the pants and a diaper change needed if someone should happen to accidentally
pass gas). We leave behind the stages of
finger pointing and grunting and instead praise the fact that he now calls
people and things by their name. Hello to the wonderful world of toddler
reasoning (such as believing honey is an acceptable request for breakfast, lunch
and dinner; you must always have a cup of milk and water with every meal and rubber rain
boots are the must have choice of footwear whether out of the house or
in).
Amazing hardly begins to describe
witnessing the transformation of life in your very own child that you have
helped to create and are now helping to shape and mold. I am proud to admit I was able to hold it
together during the party. Before and after however, might have been a different
storyJ I did shed a few tears over the
fact that this little creature is growing and changing before my very eyes and
that he will never again be as little today as he was yesterday. Despite the
fact that a 2ft 11inch, honey fingered, milk mustached, rubber booted toddler
can melt my heart in one look, I really AM one tough M.O.B. (mother of boy!)….as
long as you can look past my blubbering face.