Magic.

Robby was delighted when we turned into our driveway after school and he spied his Nana on the swing set. She didn't come down for a casual visit, after all 3 hours is too far to drive for a drop-in. Instead, she was planning on attending his magic performance.  

My little Koopa has been taking magic classes for the past few months. At first I was surprised when he inquired about lessons, but after some thought I realized that magic is a logical extension of his interests.  Probably due to his ear issues, he is certainly not athletic. (At this point his 19 month old brother can throw a ball better than he can.) 

Robby is not a child driven by competition. He roots for everybody! When he was playing hockey, he was chastised by the coach for cheering when the other team made a goal. He was genuinely happy for the players success, regardless of the team colors being worn.  

Scott and I have been searching to help Robby found an extracurricular interest and were delighted when we found the magic classes. While I wasn't thrilled about tackling DC traffic during rush hour to ferry him to and from his class, I accepted my fate as Mom taxi driver. Seeing Robby's excited face when he walked out of the class, and listening to him recount all of his "amazing feats of magic" repaid me for the hours in traffic.  

Yesterday was Robby's big magic show. Dressed in his magician's tuxedo (with top hat) I could tell that he felt both confident and ready to perform. Standing alone in front of an audience is difficult for anybody but he handled his nerves beautifully. I'm proud of my little magician!

Tree Trauma

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house.

Yesterday Robby had off from school because his teacher needed a personal day, and she had a difficult time securing a substitute. I was going to take him on an educational trip, but when we woke to a dreary foggy day, we decided to stay inside in our pajamas. Instead of learning, we opted to spend our free day baking and decorating.  If you ask me, we made a wise decision.

 Our tree is erect and beautifully lit. Because we don't trust Timmy with any ornaments, we opted to use only lights this year. While little Hamlet was sleeping, Robby and I strung 3,000 bright and colorful LED lights through the branches. I have no doubt that Santa will be able to see our tree when flying through our neighborhood! 

I was certain that Timmy would be awestruck by the colorfully lit Christmas tree. Toddling down the hallway after his nap, he did not react as expected. Instead of being enthralled, he was utterly terrified. Using the corner for cover and peeking past it, he hid and began to cry.

I scooped him up and held him to examine the tree. He sobbed for nearly 20 minutes, pointing to the tree (which by that point had been hurriedly unplugged) and refusing to release his tight grasp on my shirt. Based on his reaction to discovering a tree in the house, I am not overly optimistic that he is going to enjoy sitting on Santa's lap this year.

Introducing Timmy the Terrible

A few weeks ago I made a resolution to improve my health by eating a better diet and moving more. I knew that weight was creeping back on, and I wanted to take care of my bad habits before they spiraled out of control. In my zeal to improve my life, I invested in a Jawbone fitness tracker.

I have noticed a strong correlation between Timmy's mischievous behavior and my step count. Yesterday, Timmy the Terrible introduced himself to our family in a whirlwind of chaos and tantrums. He hurriedly moved from one naughty activity to another with virtually no time to rest. He seamlessly moved through his repertoire of misbegotten behaviors with such fluidity that I am convinced that it was a well-planned assault. Nobody will ever convince me that it wasn't planned.

As soon as I heard the cat food scatter across the kitchen floor, he was headed into the bathroom to splash in the toilet.  (Note to self, he has figured out how to open the lid. I need to get toilet bowl latches today.) I picked him up, soaking wet and screaming, only to see the toilet paper strewn through the hallway. All of this occurred before I finished my first cup of coffee.

He snatched two eggs and smashed them on the floor when I was trying to make a quick batch of cookies. He lost the batteries to every remote and screamed until he was red faced and sweaty when I dared to take my phone out of his sticky little hands. 

He calmed down slightly when we went to get our Christmas tree. He found a fish pond and seemed amused watching the occupants swim in circles. Only in retrospect did I realize that his calm demeanor was simply a ruse to gain my trust. Just as I released his hand he twirled around and grabbed a stack of greeting cards. Before I could respond, he threw them into the fish pond, thoroughly soaking the lot. Our Christmas tree was $40. The water logged cotton candy pink flamingo and lizard Christmas cards cost me $30.

By the end of the day I was exhausted. When I logged onto my Jawbone app before going to sleep, I realized that my chasing Timmy had accumulated over 5 miles. Who needs to go to the gym when there is a toddler in the house!

Missing Dad

Over the past week I have been thinking a lot about my Dad. Since he passed away he has never been completely out of my mind, but lately I feel as if I have been haunted by his loss more than normal. It feels like every time I turn around I confront another reminder that he is really gone. 

This past weekend we went to National Harbor for a holiday getaway. In years past, my Dad would have used his hotel reward points for our room. With a quick phone call he would instantly turn our planned day trip into an overnight adventure. Having to book the hotel felt surreal because it was yet another reminder that he is gone. I suspect that I will always think of him when we are going on a weekend getaway. 

My grandmother's Menorah is on my kitchen table, and we have been dutifully lighting it every night. While I won't pretend to know all of the Hanukkah traditions, lighting the Menorah has been a tradition in our home since my Dad moved in with us more than a decade ago. Whenever possible he came home early from work during Hanukkah so that we could light the candles together. One of my favorite photos of my Dad was taken during Robby's first Hanukkah. I smile every time I see the image of baby Robby in a Santa suit, sucking a binkie and looking at Candy Papaw lighting the Menorah. This year, as we light the candles, I find myself fighting back tears. 

Going through our decoration boxes, yesterday I pulled out the stocking I embroidered for my Dad when he was living with us. Sitting on the living room floor holding his stocking, I broke down. I tried to throw it away but couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead I just put it back in the box of decorations I am not going to use and packed it away. Someday I'm sure I'll throw it away, but right now I'm just not ready.

Family Holiday Fun

A holiday trip has quickly become a tradition in our family. Last year we went to Williamsburg, but this year we decided to soak up the festive spirit a little closer to home. This past weekend we packed up and went to stay at a Christmas-themed resort in National Harbor. 

With over two million lights adorning the massive lobby and atrium area, the setting was simply breathtaking. It was hard to not feel the holiday spirit when walking around the hotel and through the harbor shops. Everybody, Timmy included, seemed to enjoy the leisurely afternoon we spent on Saturday. It has been a long time since we simply strolled through an area. We have become so busy that being able to relax and just unwind together has become a luxury.

Of course, we weren't the only family with the idea of going to National Harbor for a pre-holiday getaway. The hotel, although massive, was packed. I typically don't mind crowds, but fighting through them at every turn became frustrating. I think we would have spent more time outside of our hotel room if we didn't have to retreat from the overwhelming hustle and bustle around us.

To my delight, Timmy surprised everybody by sleeping well. I was prepared for a difficult and sleepless night because he typically doesn't do well when traveling. Thankfully none of my worries came to fruition. Although he had some trouble settling down, when he did finally fall asleep he slept soundly through the night. (In full disclosure, he ended up falling asleep on the floor. Instead of risking waking him up to move him, we opted to cover him up. He didn't stir until morning.)

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday getaway, but it was nice to come home. I spent Sunday tidying up and getting ready for the week while the boys watched sports and videos. I think we would all like to return to the hotel, but maybe we will go during the off-season. We'll miss out on all of the lights, but I don't think we'll miss the crowds.