Traditions and Tornadoes

Whew! I am ready for today. It's Monday and that means that I will be getting my yoga on, while the cleaners are cleaning my filthy house that screams my-kids-were-home-all-week-last-week, and my children are going back to school! Can I get a whoot-whoot?!

I was really excited to have the kids home last week and thought it would be great if we just spent time together without having friends over and sleepovers and things of that nature. You know, we'd all sit by the fire (although I have no fire place), while I embroidered (even though I don't know how), the kids sang songs together (without fighting over what song) and Daddy read long chapters out of War and Peace (but I guess he would have to be home to do that?!) as snow sprinkled outside (since it snows here, once every 100 years).

I never claimed to be deeply seeded in reality. What can I say, I'm delusional an unrealistic dreamer.

So our week looked nothing like that, but it was nice to have the kids home. Most of the time.

This year our Holidays have looked different than years past. Some of our favorite traditions didn't happen. At Halloween we have carved pumpkins every year since we got married. This year we didn't and boy, did the kids remember. I also cook every year for Thanksgiving. Have for the past 7 years. Not this year. This year we went to some friends house and I brought a few sides and a homemade apple pie that one of my children stepped on getting into the car, but we won't talk about that... The kids had a blast with some of their favorite friends, dinner was amazing and we all had a fabulous time.

Just not at our house. While missing some of these things doesn't sound like that big of a deal, it has really been bothering me.

Part of the problem is that we are busy and it's really hard to fit everything in. The bigger problem dilemma is THE TRYING TWO-YEAR OLD DOUBLE TROUBLE TWINS!

Seriously, friends, they are e-x-h-a-u-s-t-i-n-g. I remember when they were little and everyone always said, "Oh, it gets so much easier..." Well, I have one word for you well meaning people.

YOU LIE!!

Okay, so maybe that was 2 words.

It is SO not easier. Now they talk, walk -make that RUN, fuss, fight, and have attitude, opinions and more personality than I know what to do with. They think they are 16 and are so spoiled by all of us, it is frightening. And they are two. Two and three have always been hard ages around this joint. Getting anything done with the two tornadoes is very difficult.

Very. Difficult.

So while I am sad and bothered that we haven't done some of our annual things, I just keep reminding myself that this is where we are right now in life. The tornadoes won't always be spinning all over the place and in different directions (please, please, please let this be true Lord. Please.) And while we haven't done all our yearly traditions, we have done many of them.

And the traditions aren't really the point, it's the memories right? Boy are we making some memories. Oh, we are making memories.