5.Versluys'.us

I’m tired of doing laundry, washing dishes, and running errands. Especially with the lit Christmas tree in the living room just mocking me. Maybe I’m just cranky from this head-stuffing cold, or maybe I should have left for California last month. Either way, I’m definitely ready to get my holiday spirit back from wherever it went a few days after Thanksgiving.

For some reason, Roma has also caught the grumpy bug this morning, and she spent several hours saying “no” in a whiny voice and clinging to me before going to bed. We are a miserable pair.

It’s time for positive action.

In keeping with my inherited obsession with extended holidays, I am officially declaring that Christmas starts tomorrow.

I will be heading to a Christmas get-together with friends tomorrow morning, carrying a wrapped gift and yummy cinnamon bread (I know it’s yummy – that cutaway portion went into my rapidly growing belly).

And then it’s back home again for the afternoon to carefully pack the remaining wrapped presents, suitcases, and miscellaneous paraphernalia into the car trunk for the long drive to California. We’re leaving tomorrow evening, after Eric finishes work.

Let the festivities begin.

I’d much rather be grouchy in California where the ocean is available. But hopefully, the grouchiness will dissipate as the time zone changes…

Yeah, I know, 95% of mood changes come from a personal decision to make that change. But I’m stuck in one of the 5% moments where all the happy thoughts I think are not gonna budge this mean monster.

So let Christmas come, along with the California border.

I should at least post the following photos of Roma’s graduation from the plastic seat on the floor:

to practicing under the careful supervision of Papa at the kitchen table:

to a big-girl booster seat securely attached to her own chair:

She is now happily joining Mama and Papa for breakfasts and dinners, and I’m glad to get that other chair into the shed. It was the best option when Roma was little since we don’t have room for a full-size high chair, but we’re all definitely ready for the low-visibility booster seat.

And thank goodness Roma wasn’t as attached to her first seat as she is to her pacifier. Eric grabbed her “apu” out of her mouth with his teeth, and when Roma found out that it wasn’t going to budge, she decided it was better to be attached to Papa than go without:

My daughter’s an addict.

She’s going to have a week-long meltdown when the beloved pacifier is permanently removed from this house come January 1.