Holiday recap

Well Christmas came and went. We survived intact.

The first week was a tired blur, doing things deemed compulsory. Presents, tradition, Christmas dinner. The presents were fun. Elias liked his of course. Xavi liked the world. I still think I like Lego more than the two of them pput together. "Will you play with me mummy?" always gets a "Sure honey!" answer from me because that way we (I) build a Lego fire station, train ticket office, old man's house, Sheriff's office (complete with missile launcher) and mechanics. And train track. What? Christmas dinner was me - did it all, it was eaten but at that point I was so tired I just wanted the day to end really. In a nice but tired way. My mum was too "distracted" to realise I was doing everything and what it all entailed, René was busy with mum and the kids and anyway, he's a man and has no idea and the kids were too small. I was pleased with it though...

Mum was OK. She is lovely and difficult. She is forgetting things and becoming defensive. She doesn't fully trust me with her affairs (= money) so that is hard to handle. She says things, not nice things, and forgets having said them. She resists my attempts to help because she want to understand, but she cannot understand and then we get frustrated. She refuses to give in, even a leeeetle. And I am not a sweetie pie - I have too many things to do in my life and just need to get them done, my way. Sounds cold but that is the truth. I need to do everything the way I know will work so that everyone is taken care of and I maintain my sanity. Ho hum. That said she did let me do some telephone banking for her. She forgot a whole bunch of what we did and then wrote a complex email to me about it but at least it has been started.

René was a SAINT with my mother. Thank you!!!!!

After mum left and René went back to work, it was nearly two glorious weeks with the kids. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. We did all sorts of things. Walks - Xavi's learning to hold hands which is a relief as he was prone to pulling and collapsing in a stubborn lump, then vehemently protesting when I tried to put him back in the pushchair which was infuriating!! If I am alone with 2 kids walking I need them to hold hands or else it is dangerous. I prefer one in the pushchair and one walking otherwise if one freaks out, I cannot cope. So Xavi's recent lightbulb moment that holding hands and walking is cool makes our lives a lot easier!

We went to the park every day. Mother Nature was good to us. Great. No people in the park either. Italians think their children will get triple pneumonia or worse, dirty (!!) in a muddy winter park. We, on the other hand, bundle up and take boots and have a great time squelching in the mud and sliding down the muddle slide. My washing machine works, don't know about the rest of 'em.

We went to the perennial supermarket. Elias walking with the pull-along trolley and Xavi in the pushchair or Xavi in the cart and Elias walking. Taking bags, Elias and Xavi up the escalator is a challenge but we managed.

We built wonderful Lego towns.

We watched English DVDs.

We marvelled at Xavi's talking. Wow. He's good. Commentaries as well as instructions. "Papa, move please, pie" (pie=foot in Spanish). Gracias." or "Open the door mummy."

We marvelled at Elias who is forever sweet and funny and gorgeous. He was soooo tired at the end of term. He rested a lot over the break. But he still hates baths.

That is about it really. Nothing too thrilling but lovely. I dread going back to work tomorrow and am already counting the days till our next breaks (35 working days till a long weekend at the end of February - that will be a tough slog - then 30 days till a ten day Easter break then things get easier - days get longer and warmer so the remaining 40ish till summer term and then 3 weeks till nice summer holidays in August won't seem so bad. Right? RIGHT?).

Tomorrow marks the return to nursery for Elias. I expect tears. He point blank does not like it. Too much noise is his main compaint. The kids overwhelm him. The many adults. I totally sympathise. Shite. I feel bad for him. That said he did grow up a lot over the break so maybe, just maybe, things will get better for him there sooner rather than later. Awww.

I have to remember how lucky I am. That I could have all this time over Christmas with them instead of working. That we had a good time. No, a great time. And that life has to go on, hurdles have to be conquered, I have to drop two little boys off tomorrow who will both probably cry when I leave them and then drag myself to a job that pays me too little but you know, I have the boys, I have the job and I have so much more. "Count your blessings!" my very Anglican grandfather used to say and I do, albeit probably to a different God (who is yet to be completely defined but that's another long story and it includes Elvis the African priest - not kidding...).

Happy New Year one and all and here's to 2012!!