do not, i repeat, DO NOT go...

to the mall.

without a double stroller at least (if you have kids under the age of say...12).

madness.

apparently, kids of all shapes and sizes AND their parents do not have school or work the week between christmas and new years. this is new to me?

we have had 2 days of being couped up in the house in our jammies without baths and showers. (yes, some of you are remembering me saying before i had children that i would never have a day without a shower. that was just so gross. bless my heart.) so i was determined to get out of the house with a shower and have all children bathed and smelling sweet. my buddy sarah (the one that just had a baby TWO WEEKS ago) decided she would join me. she is nuts. though, i had to get out of the house when i had a 2-week-old as well. life with more than one is a lot harder. (you people out there with more than 2 children...my hats off to you.)

getting lunch at the food court may have taken at least 6 hours, complete with lots of crying kids and lots of 9 and 10-year-olds using a lot of "i wants." it was craziness.

but, there was justice.

getting home, the lift and lay was accomplished with BOTH children. the lift and lay is a very technical procedure not to be attempted by just anyone. it is the art and science of taking your sleeping child out of his/her carseat and getting him/her into his/her bed without waking them up. and yes, it was accomplished. henry. done. the goo. done.

happiness in my life is now equivalent to a nap on a rainy day. ahhh...

and now after a fine dinner, buz and i are together, ready to face the weekend head on. (i say "face it head on" because the new years blues are upon us. that feeling you get when the holidays and festivities are over, and you're left with normal life again.)