Jingle jingle!

Viva is back to school and things are getting somewhat back to normal around here. Oh, except, by the way, it's the crazy Christmas season, in case you have been living under a rock. I tried to do what I could while imprisoned, er, I mean, cooped up with my two-year-old for a week. I shopped online, but balked at paying $30 in tax and shipping to Toys'R'Us, so have to make the brave trip out there sometime this week. I drew up my Christmas card list, deleted a few, added a few. Made notes on people who have moved and not given me their addresses. I am sure this is just an oversight. It doesn't have any deeper meaning, like they no longer want to have anything to do with me. Right? Right?

Anyhoo, this weekend, the Blah Blahs took our family holiday photos, put up our lights, decorated our front door, and ventured out to get our Christmas tree. All this, despite the lingering sickness. We are the bomb!

Random Bits of Viva

"You're a monkey. Kiss me, monkey!"

Bah, Humbug

You know, I do love Christmas sometimes. I just wish it didn't blow so out of control so easily.

I love the spirit of Christmas. I have been trying to explain to Viva that Christmas is a big old party for Jesus*, and why we celebrate Him, and all that. Well, as much as I, not a heavily religious person, can explain such a thing to a two-year-old. What I find interesting about Christmas is the huge emphasis on Santa. I am not big into Santa -- we don't push Santa at all -- and this is the first year that Viva is old enough to absorb all the Santa marketing. This weekend, she actually asked me if Santa was going to bring her presents.

Sweet Wills and I hadn't talked this out ahead of time.

"You think Santa brings you presents?" I said.

"Maybe he will, in your stocking," Will said at the same time.

We exchanged looks, Viva started jumping around the room singing "Jingle Bells," and that was the end of that.

* I am not a Jesus freak. I am not a big believer in organized religion. I do, however, celebrate Christmas because I think Jesus preached common sense. Treat people the way you'd want to be treated. Love each other. Be compassionate and understanding. Not a bad thing to celebrate.

Christmas can be a fun time of year. It's just that when we get caught up in the craziness of the holiday season, it can make me go a little bananas.

This morning, when I dropped Viva off at school, she had been out sick for a week, and her teacher, Miss Svetlana, had been out of the country for the two weeks prior to that. Communications about crucial bits of information had broken down (although I hasten to add that Miss Svetlana called us at home on Thursday to check up on us, which I must say was so sweet and thoughtful). To wit: the school holiday show, to which we must purchase tickets (at 13 bucks a pop!) if we want to see our kid sing "The Hokey Pokey" for five minutes, is this coming Thursday. Miss Svetlana would like the girls to wear white turtlenecks, red skirts, white tights and white shoes (white?!). Viva lacks three out of four of said items. Crap.

Also: the holiday potluck is the next day, this coming Friday. I need to bring yet another food item for that (dessert this time). And finally, at the potluck, the kids will have a gift exchange. Evidently, I need to bring a small gift for each of the ten kids who will be there, preferably the same gift for each kid, so nobody complains about so-and-so getting a better gift and all the kids end up with the same thing. Holy Kris Kringle! I'm a little cheesed off, since I am already behind on a lot of Christmas stuff as it is. And since Sweet Wills was thoughtless enough to have been born on December 23rd, I am also behind the gun on his birthday planning as well.

I also need to get teacher gifts this week (one for her regular teacher and one for her ballet teacher). Damn, having a kid is expensive.

Here is what I must do: breathe deeply, eat a gingerbread man, and adjust. I got all this shit under control. Right? Right?

Random Bits of Viva, Encore

Viva: Can you answer for me the balloon question? In a song?

Mama Blah: What, baby? The BALLOON question? I don't know any songs about balloons. Can you sing it for me?

Viva: I don't know that song. You need to sing about the balloon question.

Mama Blah [realizing what Dean Martin is crooning in the background]: Do you mean "Blue Christmas"? The song that's on right now?

Viva: Yes. Balloon Christmas?

Ah, yes. For those who don't know the words:

I’ll have a balloon Christmas without you
I’ll be so balloon just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green christmas tree
Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me

And when those balloon snowflakes start falling
That’s when those balloon memories start calling
You’ll be doin’ all right, with your Christmas of white
But I’ll have a balloon, balloon christmas

I love the holidays.