The Whirlwind Holidays

The holidays this year were a total whirlwind. There was so much going on that I need a vacation from my vacation. I've really enjoyed being not at work and therefore home with DJ, but bills must be paid and I'm sure DJ misses Miss Eleanor and baby Grace.

The holidays began with Steve's brother, Dave, and his wife, Nancy, flying in from San Diego on the Friday before Christmas (see earlier blog about how airlines are frustrating) to stay with us for the holidays. This means that there is constant activity in the house! I love having them stay with us because they remind me that I should drink alcohol and play video games more often (maybe not always at the same time...). They're also just a breath of fresh energy and since we don't see them that often, a really good time to catch up.

Their staying with us also meant we needed to clean the house and grocery shop before Dave and Nancy arrived. It mostly got done. Their room was ready in general, though Steve and I cleaned out their closet of all the extra stuff we'd been keeping in there so they could hang clothes and put their bags in it. Their arrival was great timing because DJ was just starting his bedtime routine, so they got to see him before he went to bed that night.

The Saturday before Christmas was relatively quiet because I didn't go anywhere. Steve, Dave, and Nancy went Christmas shopping and I was happy to stay home with DJ to avoid that insanity. I'd finished all of my Christmas shopping the weekend before which was my goal because this year, unlike years past, I wanted no parts of the commercialism insanity that comes with shopping the weekend before Christmas. I'd wrapped all my gifts, including the stocking stuffers, 3 days earlier so that I wouldn't have to deal with that once I had house guests. Steve, Dave, and Nancy wrapped gifts later that night after we had steamed crabs with my mother-in-law. Guitar Hero and Halo 3 were also on tap for the evening, topped off with a Red Bull-Vodka. :)

My brother, James, and his family flew in from Minneapolis that Saturday. We didn't get to see them before DJ's Baptism on Sunday, so we caught up for the first time at church. I was concerned that DJ might have some stranger anxiety and wouldn't go to James or Susan, but that turned out to be one less thing I needed to worry about because DJ went right to them. Eleni and Alexandra were tickled pink by DJ, and they proved to be worthy babysitters during the course of their stay in Baltimore.

I'd been stressing about DJ's Baptism (see earlier blog about the baptism). I had all sorts of things that I needed to have for the service itself plus the prep for the reception thereafter. When you're planning a party for 70, there's no end to the things that could go wrong! Naturally, there were plenty of people who didn't RSVP so I had to call them all individually so I could give The Acropolis an accurate count. It turns out I was off by like... 10 due to people being ill so I couldn't have known otherwise. It was a bummer they couldn't come. Plus, trying to keep DJ on a reasonable schedule so he'd be fresh enough to deal with a big thing like a baptism and a reception afterwards was a big challenge. I was totally stressed out the hour before we needed to leave... snappy doesn't even describe me well which is sad. Of course I forgot stuff at home that we had to turn around and go back for (his outfit is important!), too.

Once that was done, that was one less major stressor on my plate. Then came Christmas Eve. I met DJ's godparents at church in the morning so they could take him for his first post-baptism communion. Later that day, DJ (the Santa Baby) and I went to the Hopkins Club with my family while Steve, Dave, Nancy, and my parents-in-law went out with cousin Tim and Aunt Jan to the Manor Tavern for Christmas Eve dinner. On the ride home, DJ was inconsolable, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Once we got home and out of the carseat in my arms, he was fine and went right to bed so I still have no idea what was wrong except that maybe he just wanted the company. I went to bed right after he did so I was asleep by the time everyone else got home, to Steve, Dave, and Nancy's disappointment.

I already blogged about the Christmas Day insanity.

The 1st Day After Christmas, my true love and I had a fight. And so I chopped the pear tree down and burned it just for spite! My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me. Just kidding. The day after Christmas involved my going to my first ever Valley View Farms 1/2 price Christmas stuff sale. I expected it to be a zoo. Surprisingly, it wasn't though it was getting crowded by the time we were leaving. I'm thinking that there's a 6am rush, it calms down and then another 9am rush. DJ was in the snugli with me, and we bought a nativity scene for next year. Then we went to Wegmans and we were home in time for DJ's morning nap and before Dave and Nancy woke up. Dave and Nancy had given Steve and me a copy of Dance Dance Revolution for Christmas so we busted that out for the first time. Steve, Dave, and Nancy then went to my mother-in-law's to help her with stuff around the house.

I took DJ to my parents' house to visit with my brother and his family. Eleni and Alexandra wanted to babysit, so changing diapers and following a crawling baby around the house was all part of the training process. Alexandra did a great job changing DJ's diaper (a poopy one, even!), and both girls did great watching him and keeping him safe from himself. :)

That night, my father-in-law spent the night to make his trip the next day easier since he'd be taking Dave and Nancy into Washington DC. So on Thursday, Steve had to go to work, and I had a dentist appointment. I dropped off DJ at my parents' house so the girls could babysit again picked him up when I was done with the dentist. Dave and Nancy had left by the time I got back home which was a bummer, but we'd said goodbye earlier that morning. I spent the afternoon trying to get DJ back on schedule and cleaning the house. That evening, Steve, DJ, and I went to Andy Leeds' house to visit with my McD friends. We had a wonderful time there, too.

Friday morning, I took DJ to see his godparents, his grandparents, and Eleni before the Minneapolis crew left for the airport. Once again, the girls did a great job babysitting, including feeding him a bottle and cereal. After his morning nap, he played with everyone for a little while longer, and then the Minneapolis crew left. I fed DJ some lunch, and then we left to go to the bank and open a savings account for him. We got home in time for a nap. When he got up, we me with Steve at White Marsh Mall to do a little post-Christmas shopping. Friday night was finally a quiet one.

Saturday I met up with a friend for lunch while DJ and Steve stayed home. My mother-in-law came over to play with DJ and rip some of our CDs. Saturday night was quiet.

Sunday we took DJ to church for his second round of communion and then spent the rest of the day doing nothing useful. :) New Year's Eve, my parents came over briefly to drop off a New Year's bread (basilopita), but otherwise it was quiet. Our next door neighbor, Steve, set off fireworks at midnight, and the rest of the night was uneventful. New Year's Day was also quiet. We needed the downtime!!