no time to edit sorry for typos.. rushing and have tried to post this all day and no time. so posted with lots of typos it will be!
It’s funny as I have always had a love hate relationship
with holidays (mostly love!) I am always a little bit scared and insecure to be
off work and out of routine but then equally as scared to return back to that
work and those routines.
Something about holidays shakes me up no matter how many
times I take them (which is a lot!) Holidays always manage to destabilize me
and ground me both at the same time. When I start them I always think-“OMG how
will I be without my routine/off work/with these 4 others people 24 hrs a day
all day every day for the next 15 days??? And then during and at the end I
think “How will I ever get back to real life-this is sooo good. I love being
off work and with these 4 people!!”
And certainly I do love holidays. It’s just when we do
them-we really do them. We don’t work
in between at all-take a real mental break. All of us. Kids are supposed to
prep for a few exams and we agreed with them..no way. I have three massive
deadlines Wednesday and refuse to even let my mind go there until tomorrow
morning. For us it is the only way to really disconnect and re-energize.
However the result is chickens running around without heads when we get back to
normal life-but I am convinced that for
us this oblivious disconnected state is necessary to deal with the types of
lives we lead when we are not on vacation.
A few things I want to remember about our Christmas 15
days of holidays 2014/2015 (minus one day I worked on Dec 24): Skip if boring
for you as often on vacation blogs more of record keeping for me and family.
-We relaxed a lot the first half (minus hosting for Xmas
which because we host for pretty much every year for two decades so is no big
deal for us. We have hosting done to an art by this point)
-The first part of holidays it was movies, and baking and
reading and lounging around in pyjamas. We watched on most days two episodes of
Scandal a day Hubby and I! We would go outside for about 2 hrs a day on most
days for a skate-a sport of an errand and then come back to the cozy fire ..and
do..nothing. Normally on holidays we make sure we have a few days of this for
sure but most years we have friends in and out of the cottage every few days.
This year much much quieter. Except the last five days we have had a whirlwind
of friends and guests and extended family activity which has been super nice
too
-Skiing: Beauty and Chase skied every second day (and
sometimes everyday) from 8:30am-3:30pm. Big skiing days. Bear in between here
and there with more cross country etc. And Hubby and I skied…never. We were not
up to it . Hubby cross country a number of times. Me? Nothing. It just was not
the flavor of our holidays this year.
-Fave events? New Year’s Eve, Jan 1 and lunch with mom
and great visit to the of family cottage with Hubby sister and skating on the
beautiful lake. Soul keeper and family special two day visit and long walks and
long soaks in the hot tub with snow on our heads with my dear buddy. Every time
I see her it’s like much needed oxygen for both of us. Had such a good time.
-Board games. Always had a vision of family being into
board games-always touched on it over the years here and there on this vacation
was almost every second night. Except once though was without meL I kind of despise games
except a few which is something I will need to change!!!!! But just because I
suck doesn’t mean I don’t want this experience for the family. I adore this
quiet time with me myself and I in front of fire while they play Clue and Life
and whatever else. Need to include myself more
-Girlfriends over. They are both here now! First time at
cottage. And overnight too. Fun..I played a game all of us..Had nice dinner.
But awkward weird day too a bit and not used to it all and certainly an
adaptation for us on many levels. But the girls themselves are beautiful
wonderful nice girls for sure. Just hard to see our boys cuddling, kissing, and
us babysitting and being worried about not leaving them alone in any room very
long!. New lives! To be expected! One of those boys is too young for this! One
of them is perfect stage but still odd. At least I know both have excellent taste
in woman!
-The kids not even one time said they were bored or
wanted to go back to the city or real life. They loved the break and besides
the skiing didn’t do a whole lot!!! I can’t believe they could relax as much as
we do and enjoy it. Impressive and fun that we have raised three kids so similar
to us.
-It’s been a hard year so not surprising that at the end
of it-Hubby and I had our ups and do on these holidays . Had such important
talks-let out a lot of feelings on both our sides that have been bottled up somewhat.
It’s going to be time for us to tweak between us what has always been
comfortable. Wit this year behind us- redefine ourselves and our couple in many
ways. It’s going to be hard-and exciting in ways too. We had a lot of good times
together but also a lot of reality checks. You can’t have gone through what we have as a couple
this year and expect anything less.
-amount of family time.-it always shocks me how much time
as a family of five or even as a couple we spend together without killing each
other. We spend a lot mostly because of our cottage and we don’t have neighbors
or friends up here that we socialize with (minus the kids have a couple of
friends at mountain). When we are here is is the 5 of us and we are here a lot.
Always makes me proud. We are very bonded. We get on each other’s nerves a lot
but it all works out. When Sou keeper and I had two full hours in the Jacuzzi
together she was shocked when I said that was my first time away from the
others in 14 days!!!! Craziness! And as a couple no time at all. 24/7 with the
kids always except a 5 hour Nordic bath spa morning. No dinners just two of
us-no nights with the kids back in the city. All together.
When kids were
young and up until about 4 years ago we made much more of an effort to find
this couple time. One we have it more naturally come to us with kids often
leaving us alone to watch movies or afternoon when they ski etc. We feel the
clock is working in a different direction now…only so many more moments of the
whole family and many more ahead of us as a couple alone. There will be plenty
of date nights ahead in our future!
-Eating-we ate really really well. Homemade meals nightly
and lots of cakes and cupcakes. I ate whatever I wanted but in moderation which is not hard for me.
Had protein shakes ¾ of times in morning. Was a good food holiday. Kinda scared
to see the damages on the scale-but I have the feeling that I gained 3 lbs but
will be easy to lose with the new eating plan within about a week.
-I feel lonely in some ways. I want more. More family.
More friends. More love. More of everything. I read a line on a blog the other
day that resonated with me like nothing else. The blogger was being interviewed
and was asked the question “Is there
anyone you are close to you miss?
And she said exactly what is in my own heart:
Chances
are if I love you? I miss you.
It’s how I am wired and that won’t be changing anytime
soon.
So the end of holidays. Parts wonderful and parts a
little less wonderful. Just like real life.
Goodbye holidays!!! Until the next!
Ps-came back at end of day to write PS before posting. Girlfriend
day got fun. Freezing rain here so no skating and outside stuff. Packed them
all up in the car and gave them each 15 dollars to go spend in village. They all
decided to go out to Mr Pizza for lunch (two couple and invited Beauty) then
they all walked 15 mins in the rain and went bowling. Was really sweet and we got
to know the girls on a different level. I was so happy they all included our
daughter too which was so much fun for her (although I did not expect it given
they have not seen their girlfriends in 2 weeks and was sure they would each do
separate activities and had warned Beauty). Hubby and I went out for a
delicious lunch at a resto and shared two yummy meals and then a chocolatine
and coffee at the bakery. We walked along the village slipping and sliding everywhere
and met up with the bowlers for a stroll back to the car where we parked
further away to get some fresh air. Today although crappy weather was a super
end to the holiday. And having the girlfriends here became more normal too. They
are both lovely girls and felt happy all five kids around same age to be able
to hang out.
Now although we should be packing we are squeezing in a
half episode of Scandal by the fire and a Jacuzzi Hubby and I before we make
our last family vacation dinner which the kids chose (Greek pasta, baguette,
sausages on BBQ and apple caramel cake)
We will be home later than expected and the girl’s
parents will be picking them up at our house. They have to know and understand that
if they hang with our family…we squeeze it all in right up until the very last
second!!!
PSS: the fun will continue! Just found out no electricity
at home and roads too icy to take road. We sleep here with girlfriends again. Just
cleared it with both parents that they miss two periods of school in morning.
Was fun we all had a meeting to discuss and make decisions with kids. They are
thrilled!!!!
