We Need a Little Christmas

It is boring around here during the day. Exhibit A:


I try to come up with SOMETHING for Alex and I to do every day. A playdate. A trip to WalMart. Lunch and trains at Barnes and Noble. SOMETHING. So today, when my playdate canceled, we were left with nothing to do. I didn't need anything at the store, already had books and videos from the library, Christmas shopping done. And sometimes, it feels ridiculous to get in the car and drive 20 minutes to Lancaster and spend money on something you don't need, just for something to do. So today we decided to stay home.

Still, I can't sit in this house playing with toys on the floor from 10:15-2:00 (the time in between naps). It's just LONG. So we decided to go for a walk. It was cold, so of course we needed Alex's hat, coat, mittens, blanket, my hat and gloves. Plus of course my ipod, the dogs, and bags to clean up after them. Lots of gear required for a trek through the neighborhood. We left at 10:30 and were home at 11:15, chilled but invigorated. And then still, filling up almost 3 hours can be long, especially when Alex is in one of his moods (as he was today), when he will only play with a toy when it is sitting directly on my lap. That leaves me with very little options other than to sit and pretend to be fascinated by farm animals. It's fun for a few minutes, but can get to a person after a while. I even resorted to cleaning out the refrigerator today, just because I knew Alex would find it fascinating (which he did).

Which is probably why we ended up getting more for Alex for Christmas than we intended to. Because in reality, the presents are for US. Sanity savers. To give my day a little variety. It's bad enough that I have to listen to the same CD's and listen to the same books over and over again. But the same toys being pulled out day after day after day . . .

So next year, maybe we'll stick to a better system, so that Alex doesn't grow up expecting the entire inventory of Toys R Us to be handed to him each Christmas. But this year? A train table, trains, a drum, puzzles, and books should help shake things up a little around here for a while. Or at least until January.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly