January2
I do have a photo or 2 to share from our trip north. We left on the 22nd at 9pm so that the girls could sleep in the car. The plan was for me to take a nap when Steve got home from work. That didn’t work out so well because I am always forgetting that I can’t get anything done with 2 toddlers running around. Sabrina isn’t too bad but Tessa just won’t stay out of anything. It is impossible to accomplish anything when I am home alone because she is at an age that requires full time direct management. But she is so cute that I forget until the next time I think I’m going to get something done while Steve is at work.
No nap, Steve and I both a little tense because we are tired and trying to get things to fit in the car, and an overnight drive – recipe for a good time, no? We had to change drivers every 2 hours because we were both so tired (have I mentioned that I can’t sleep in the car?) but the girls did great. They both stirred every time we stopped but went right back to sleep. We were having breakfast at Eat N Park in Pittsburgh by 8:30am. Let the festivities begin (after a 3 hour nap at my MIL’s house because we couldn’t check into our hotel yet…)! Complete with gingerbread houses.
Christmas the First. The girls had matching outfits for Christmas although you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t look at multiple photos because I couldn’t get a single photo of them together. Sabrina was way too busy adoring her older cousins and basking in the attention of aunts, uncles, and Grandma and Pap-pap. Tessa, while not disliking or afraid of folks who aren’t designated bottle sippy cup getters any longer, still greatly preferred the company of Mommy and Daddy (although she had taken to calling both of us mommy now and pointing to the one she wants).
Christmas day was fun. The kids all had a great time tearing into their presents. Sabrina really got the whole gift thing this year so she had a grand time asking what she could open next. It took some convincing at first for to put some of the gifts aside to keep going but once she got in the grove there was no looking back. With every gift she opened, she gasped and asked “For me?!?” And then “Can I open another one Mommy?”
The most popular gifts of the day seemed to be the musical gifts. Sabrina got a keyboard and Avadar received a Barbie guitar that everyone wanted to play. Sabrina and Uncle Pat had a jam session.
Tessa’s favorite was a cow lawn mower.
Tessa kept her security froggie with her all week. She rarely let go of it.
Several dance parties were had by the kids.
Sabrina slept at Grandma and Pap-pap’s with her cousins the whole time we were in Pittsburgh. When we finally told her she had to come to the hotel with us because we were heading to Ohio in the morning, she sobbed. It broke my heart. She sobbed that she didn’t want to leave. I, of course, started sobbing too. I hate that we are so far from so many who love our children. I hate that family gatherings are special occasions instead of any random Sunday. I hate hearing my oldest baby so heart broken. I was ready to turn in my mommy card on the spot.
Christmas the second. We headed to Ohio on Sunday morning to spend a few days with my family. We had dinner and did gifts with my step mom, sister, brother in law, and nephew. It was a nice, quiet day. (Don’t get me started on the Steelers game not being televised 100 miles from Pittsburgh. Stupid Browns.) Sabrina was over the previous night’s heart ache and enjoying a new group of people paying attention to her. Tessa was still carrying froggie and sticking close to Mommy and Daddy. We enjoyed a few days of hanging out in Ohio and watching it snow. My sister enjoyed flipping me off every time I tried to enforce a rule with my child while she fed her sugar and painted her nails orange and green. A good time was had by all.
Sabrina definitely had the opening presents thing down by this point.
And Sabrina was in heaven when Grandma Freida made cupcakes with her.
Tessa was a fan. This was her first cupcake since she didn’t eat her birthday cupcake.
We drove overnight again to get home. It went a little more smoothly than the trip up but still a couple of tired adults. We arrived home around 4:30am. We put both kids to bed and we fell into bed. We all slept until 9am. Christmas the third. We gave the girls their presents from us and from Abuela. By this time, even Tessa was old hat at unwrapping.
See previous post for photos of their cottage and market. But I think the biggest hit was the play remote my mom got Tessa. Tessa is ALWAYS trying to steal the remote and press buttons so I suggested she might like one of her own. She does. And Sabrina is constantly stealing it from her.
There were some other popular gifts that I’ll share in the coming weeks because I know I’m always curious what is a hit in everyone else’s house so I know what to think about buying or skipping in the future.