Merry Christmas

I’m not one that really celebrates Christmas as “hard-core” as some people, but this year most definitely didn’t feel like Christmas. First of all, we’ve never been big celebrators. As the years have gone by, my views of Christmas have changed from what I had been raised to believe. Growing up, my family, although not religious, observed Christmas with a tree, lights, and presents–often times, tons of presents for my niece and nephew. As an adult, with my own family, there are aspects of Christmas that I really enjoy (lights!), but there are parts that I don’t agree with (the total commercialization of it all).

Even so, this year, we didn’t even do lights. We’re still staying here at Kwasi’s mom’s house, as our house gets counter tops, cabinets, and other things that won’t be done until early this week. I had wanted to get a tree, but it made no sense getting a tree when we don’t even live there yet. And there’s no way that we’d be able to get a tree at Kwasi’s mom’s house since (1) she doesn’t celebrate Christmas whatsoever, and (2) there isn’t enough space for a tree.

Damn, I started this post some time ago, and thought I just finished it, only to lose the rest of it. SHIT! Okay, well, here’s what I had said, the updates I had given:

• Ohene is so cute! He loves anything with a long handle, like broomsticks, especially. I am considering getting him a broom of his own! LOL For some reason, the real ones have more appeal than the kid ones.
• Ohene loves daycare! He hates for me or Kwasi to pick him up from daycare. Poor kid’s been without toys at home for half of his life, so of course he would want to stay in the FUN environment!
• Kwabena has attitude, and is near getting his first butt whooping. LOL. He’s quite rude at times, and really isn’t like a 4-year-old to me. Four seems so young, and so sweet. Him, on the other hand, cute at times, is more like a mouthly tween. UGH! I almost see him in the light of a 7-9 year old with the way he communicates, and then at times he throws these tantrums over the stupidest thing, and then realize, “Oh, yeah, he’s FOUR.” He’s also not a cuddly type of kid. Never really has been. My mom was commenting tonight how it’s funny he loves coming to Hagerstown, but when he sees her, it’s not like he goes running for hugs and kisses. LOL

• Today when Ohene was about to take a nap and I was lying down with him, it was so cute how he was rolling his head back and forth, and then waiting for me to mimic him and thought it was the funniest thing! Back and forth we went. So amazing how we can interact now and he “gets” it and laughs! Didn’t I just give birth to him?? LOL.
• Yesterday Kwabena ran into the corner of the wall and bloodied his nose and bruised his left temple!! He didn’t even tell us it had happened; I just happened to see blood smeared all over his face and hands as he stood there in front of the TV! I honestly think he was a bit disoriented or something, because after it happened (which we hadn’t witnessed), he went to laid down in his bed, and there was blood on his pillow case, as if there was some crime scene or something! I watched him the rest of the day and he seemed fine, but it was a bit scary!

We still haven’t moved into our house yet 🙁 It’s been a damn month!! Where’s the time gone?? I thought taking 2 days off from work after settlement would be all that was needed to get the house cleaned and ready for our move in. However, we discovered that the house needed more time and work than we had anticipated. And it really was easier to get it done while the kids weren’t there in the evening, sleeping in their beds. Even so, I had hoped that we would have been all moved in on Friday. I had hoped that we would have gotten their beds set up, at the very least, so that we could stay there. However, yesterday, I can’t even tell you what happened–a guess it was a mixture of not getting out of here quick enough…and then Kwabena fell asleep for a nap and by the time he woke up it was 6 p.m….and then we were going to our friend, Damien’s house that night and it made more sense for the kids to just still be sleeping here at Kwasi’s mom’s house…..And then the plan was to get to the house today at noon-ish to start getting stuff moved in, but then Kwasi’s mom’s house cleaning spree turned into an all-day-feat. Even going over to the house this evening to get things done, before the snow comes tomorrow, fell through. What is the problem, you ask? Well, I think part of the reason is that the house doesn’t feel like a “home” yet. It’s not the warm and cozy place yet that we know it will be. There is dust and dirt around on the floors from all the work that’s been going on in there lately. There are no window covers up because, well, we don’t really have any (we had to take down the existing blinds when the windows were installed the other day). And right now, I don’t know what we will put up at the windows until we can buy or make curtains for the rest of the house. Maybe we can temporarily put the blinds back up at the windows. But I think that’s part of the problem– our furniture isn’t moved in yet…..it’s dusty and dirty…. we haven’t done any decorating yet, just basically removing wallpaper and priming most of the walls…. So I think because it doesn’t feel like “home” yet, we haven’t been jumping at the opportunity to move in. But I think that’s just it– once we get IN, and start moving our furniture in, and get some good cooking smells going, and creating some memories in the house other than memories of what the house USED to look like and memories of the long hours of WALLPAPER removal, then we’ll be straight.

Tomorrow it’s supposed to snow, 3″ – 6″ or more. I seriously hope it doesn’t start until later, because I want to use tomorrow to get in and start moving our shit in from the garage. It’s been in there for 3 weeks! Crazy, or what?? I would like to get snowed in there, versus here at Kwasi’s mom’s house. These poor kids have no toys here. Wouldn’t we all like to start feeling settled??

If the snow prevents us from moving in tomorrow, then Monday it will be, for certain. Regardless of the fact that there are some unfinished things that need to get done, we just need to get in there, and start putting our stamp in the house. I want to come home and take my shoes off and get comfy. I want to be able to do projects in the house and know that when I’m tired and done, I can just walk up to my room and fall into bed.

It’s going to happen, so I must be patient. But it’s been long enough. It’s time to get settled!