Too Much to Eat

I'm not sure about you, but I have so many memories tied to food. 

The chocolate pies my Granny used to make - and the meringue that my cousin and I used to scrape off of the pies.

The deer and biscuits my uncle used to make - and the subsequent smell that filled the entire house!

The scrambled eggs my Grandpa made - and the way he would hold two eggs in one hand.

I love the memories that go along with food. This holiday season, there was no shortage of either food or memories. There's no telling what the scale will scream at me when I step onto it again... I found myself eating lots of delicious meals and snacks everywhere we traveled this holiday. But this blog is not about eating. Well, it is kind of. But not really.  

This December, I realized that it was not just my mom's delicious foods I'd been overeating that was making me feel so uncomfortable. In amongst finishing up graduate school, planning a vacation, and enjoying the holiday with family, I realized that I have also been eating my words at every turn. 

 I'd never just sit my child down in front of the tv! Parents should be playing with their kids!

---Right. Until you realize that you have nothing for dinner, seventeen loads of laundry to do, and ya kid is not content to go play by themselves. Cue her favorite movie....Mama needs to eat and we gotta have something to wear!

My child is definitely going to be potty trained by the time she's two!

---Yeah. What if the kid's not ready, Janell of the Past? What about that? What about trying to potty train around her 2nd birthday, but she just doesn't get it? What if you spend more time cleaning pee puddles and wet panties than you do anything else? 

I'd never let my child have that much sugar to eat. 

---Grandparents. Halloween. Christmas. Sometimes you just channel Elsa and let it go. Maybe bribe the kid with marshmallows in order to get her to eat the green beans.  You know, whatever works. 

I think you get the idea, so I'll spare you the rest. 

I hope I'm not alone in this whole eating your words ordeal. I like to believe that it's just that I didn't know what bringing up a child would be like. Plans are great, there are so many other factors to negotiate when being a parent: environment, exhaustion, stubborn kid personality. 

So I find myself just shrugging. 

Oh well. 

I suppose the journey is making good memories? 

At least they're memorable. Like this Christmas ---

December was a big month. I was slated to graduate on the 16th in Birmingham, so we planned to drive on down to the beach for family vacation. We all needed some time to rest and relax, and that was exactly what happened. It was fabulous.

When we got back to our home, I did some laundry and packed again to head up to my family's place in Tennessee. We had a blast visiting with them! On Christmas Eve, I realized that we would be getting home around 8 pm. The sweet little picture of baking cookies for Santa that had been dancing in my head would definitely not be happening this year. I swiped a couple cookies from the meal at my grandmother's house (thanks, Cayley!!), wrapped them up, and placed them in the car Adam and LC were in. 

So, we all made it home and began unloading the car. It was there that I discovered the empty cookie packaging. Oops. Adam fed them to LC on the drive home. Communication fail. 

*Shrug. Oh well. 

As Adam began getting Lydia Claire ready for bed, I rummaged through the pantry. I came up with a little piece of coconut candy and a glass of water to put out for Santa. We hadn't been home in over a week, so milk was out.

Coconut candy is a good change from cookies, right? Santa's gotta get tired of all the cookies. 

And milk. One can only drink so much milk. Water is a good change. 

We let Lydia Claire set it out and told her it was for Santa. 

As we were tucking her in, I heard the clank clank of dishes. 

Buddy Clause had already visited.
*Shrug. Oh well.  

Luckily, Santa still visited our house. 

Glad he gave us some points for our effort. 

Our sleigh pulled out Christmas morning in time to celebrate with Adam's family in the Shoals. We spent the day there eating and playing and making lots of memories. 

Christmas night, Adam, LC, and I settled down on the couch to watch Mister Grinch, as she calls it. 

I knew something was up with her as she wiggled beneath the blanket. 

And then it happened. 

And it went everywhere. 

I tried to catch it with the blanket. 

But that nasty stomach bug is fierce. 

Poor girl. 

I stared in shock for a split second as Adam whisked LC to the bathroom. 

She's a munchkin. How was there so much? And how did it get on everything?

I bundled up the blanket and took it to the laundry. I changed clothes, put it all to wash, and hopped in the shower. Checked on crying LC. Helped Adam. Where's my phone? Noticed an odd ka-thunk in the washer.

Oh. No.
*Shrug. Oh well. 

In case you're wondering, phones do not survive washing machines. 

There's not much I can do at this point except learn from my mistakes, shrug, and say oh well. 

Because in the end, this is definitely a Christmas I will not forget. :) 

******************************

Here's a sweet little conversation I had with Adam the day after Christmas: 

Janell: Hey honey. I forgot to tell you that I found a friend to come help me today with LC while you were at work. 

Adam: Oh, ok...

Janell: Yeah, he's pretty sweet to come over when I have a sick kid....

Adam: What? (wide eyes) He?

Janell: I know. I felt bad because I kinda bit  his head off---