Worst Holiday Tradition

We all have moments of bah-humbug during the holiday season. Stressful moments are interwoven with gleeful moments. You go through the craziness of finding, buying, and wrapping a gift just to then feel the joy of watching your loved one open it. My only hope every year is that I break even, those glorious moments even out the bah-humbug ones.

Standing in line sparks my bah humbug moments. Standing in line is the worst holiday tradition, but one you have to face again and again. Needing some milk one afternoon Babyhead and I ran into Smart and Final. We passed up the carts since we only needed one thing. Milk in one hand and Babyhead’s hand in the other we got in line behind one woman who was already checking out. But since standing in line usually takes longer than .04 seconds, Tavian was over it and wanted to wander off. After yanking his hand from my grip he took off for the wide open aisles. Luckily my reflexes have been sharpened and he only made it 5 feet away.

Once Tavian was back in my grasp I turned around to step back in line, but the woman behind me had stepped up and taken my place. I had literally just moved a few feet out of line for 10 seconds so I could grab my escaping toddler, but yet to this woman it seemed like an opportunity to cut down her wait time. Let me remind you dear Blog, I was only buying milk.

I was so shocked buy this fellow holiday shopper’s rudeness that I didn’t say anything and simply took my place in line again behind her. I still didn’t say anything when the woman turned around to smile and wave at Babyhead commenting on what a cutie he was. As I was buckling Tavian into his car seat, my face flushed with anger I wondered why I still hadn’t said anything.

Driving home the radio played “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” and I sang out my “have a hap-py ho-li-day”to a clapping Babybead. I realized perhaps my holiday spirit subconsciously kept me from being rude to an already rude person. I am sure if she is in the habit of making cutting lines, she has gotten more than just a bah humbug from other shoppers. So happy holidays cut-the-mom-with-the-toddler-and-one-thing-to-buy-in-line lady, you might not know it but Christmas came early to you this year.

Then...Christmas 2008

Now...Christmas 2009

Best Holiday Tradition

It was a sad day when Babyhead squirmed uncomfortably in my lap as he tried to drink his cup of milk before bed. This was our routine, our daily tradition since he was born, Sit in the rocker and sing a song till the milk was gone then off to bed. I guess I thought it would last forever, not really thinking what it would be like to have a 13 year old lay in my lap, as Tavian would be some day. But alas the day had come after only 19 months that he no longer fit laying on my lap in our rocker.

So now we skip that part and we do our song and cup of milk already laying the crib. He is nice and comfy, but now momma is a little awkward leaning over the hard rail of the crib so I can still gently rub his tummy and softly sing a song. I admit there are nights where I just feel too tired and imagine him finishing his milk and just throwing the cup out of his crib, I could pick it up in the morning...

But recently I remembered that there were Christmas carols to add into the rotation of songs Babyhead hears before he trots off to dream land. Our favorite is Silent Night. His big brown eyes sparkle at me in the dark whenever I sing it, a sign he is calm and focused (a rarity in our house.) Oh come all yee faithful, a new Babyhead tradition is born! Softly sung carols for Christmas bedtimes, I hope he still likes it when he is 13.

To see more Holiday Babyhead photos click here

And a little Christmas morning video click here

Best TV Shows

This time of year is so busy that flopping on the couch at the end of the day to zone out in front of the tube feels as relaxing as a tropical vaca. Becuase free time in now a precious commodity I have become very picky about what shows I watch, bad TV is a painful waste of my time. So here’s what makes the cut on our TiVo list and worth every second.

Modern Family

Best new half hour comedy that has reached our airways since Tina Fey became an Emmy winner. I find all the jokes even more hilarious now that I am married and have a child...maybe not so much in my younger 20’s when babies were like aliens.

Hoarders

This is not just based on my obsession with all things organized. Normal people have been raving about this show too. You think watching whiney rich housewives is a train wreck you can’t help but watch, wait till you see the guy who spent half a million dollars on a beer can collection, or the woman had to be rescued from paramedics when she fell in her kitchen and was smothered by garbage.

Sesame Street

I am actually thrilled that one of Tavian’s first words is Elmo. It is an amazing site to see your normally non-stop toddler sit and concentrate on something for 10 minuets. Watching Sesame Street as an adult is a whole other experience, it is a mix of nostalgia and parental insight. As a kid you think singing the alphabet along with Big Bird, then again with Elmo, then again with Grover is soooo fun, but as a parent you think “these guys just had my child recite the alphabet 20 times in an hour, genius!!” Hand downs my favorite is still Cookie Monster, that guy is hilarious...with the google eyes, come on! And surprisingly, just like a good Pixar movie, they will throw in a reference only an adult could really appreciate, knowing we are watching too. Holla, Sesame Street, holla...

30 Rock

Still just the funniest, smartest, most entertaining show since Sienfeld. It doesn’t get much better than Liz Lemon having to “cry” out of her mouth because she had cheap Lasik surgery. Only the greatest twisted minds can come up with stuff like that. That one gave me the hiccups.

Worst TV Shows

Community

I gave you 4 episodes of my time Community, 4 episodes I can’t get back. Depsite my excitement to watch Chevy Chase I couldn’t take the boring and predictable “tension building” (eye roll) love story between the two characters. Maybe the show didn’t get the memo that over the top is annoying, not funny.

Any Show About Bad/Crazy Pregnancies

When I was pregnant there were a few shows that Eli watched about emergency births or moms-to-be battling health scares during their pregnancies, but I hated them all. Now two new shows have emerged that I find just beyond disturbing. First, “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant”...women who care babies almost to full term and then surprise...they give birth. What? (blink) What is wrong with these women? The other, “I am Pregnant and...” The rest of the title is filled in according to the topic of the episode. Such as I am Pregnant and Homeless or I am Pregnant and an Addict. Um no thank you, I’ll watch the whining rich housewives instead.