Greetings from the Ice Palace

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything because I’ve been hanging out in my hammock drinking incredibly alcoholic cocktails out of coconuts while watching the sun set over the ocean. I wish. The truth is that I’ve been lying on the couch covered in blankets drinking hot tea and watching cars slide by on black ice. I don’t even like tea but I’m doing everything possible to keep my blood from turning to ice.  The holiday season is upon us and it feels, quite literally, upon me. I have Christmas tree sap on my knuckles and it won’t come off. It smells good though so pay no attention to the woman sniffing her hand. Unless the woman is not me – then, you should get away from her as quickly as possible because that’s just weird. Just last weekend, I was telling Luisa that we were so on top of the Christmas preparations and she was like, “Um…Christmas is next week” and then I felt edgy but I valiantly fought the urge to take to my bed and that is how I ended up at Toys R Us last Saturday with Zeca in tow. I am prone to hyperbole but, seriously, I did not think that I would get out of that place alive. I expected to be suffocated, trampled or flat out assaulted. I started out with a cart but eventually ditched it, grabbed Zeca’s hand and began screaming, “RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!”  It was like the running of the bulls but without the cheering and, thankfully, the horns. Zeca was unfazed by the crowd and kept shooting me looks like, “Woman – what is your problem?” We did survive and then went to Starbucks for celebratory chocolate milk. Well, Zeca had chocolate milk. I had heart palpitations. ‘Tis the season, fa la la la la. 

So, this week has been spent catching up on things. We went to see the Macy’s display “Life of an Elf” which looked really inviting. I just might start flying around on hot air balloons, chiseling chocolate from giant Hershey kisses and hanging out with singing Christmas trees. I think I’d fit in nicely with the elves except for the fact that I am so big that I would always be hitting my head on the ceiling of the elf quarters and would probably weigh down the hot air balloon. Still, I’m jolly and play well with others. In addition to the elf business, we also made a big batch of sugar cookies and tonight we’ll get to decorate them and then I’ll get to spend the next few weeks sweeping tiny, colored sugar crystals off the floor because the kids never seem to learn that sometimes less is more.

I hope to post more in the next week or so but, until then, I leave you with this. See...I knew I'd make a great elf.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Picture Perfect

When Miguel was very young, I always wanted the perfect picture. I wanted him to pose serenely in front of the Christmas tree so that I could get that perfect picture for our Christmas card. I snapped away. I wanted him to smile just so. I wanted his smile to look natural despite the fact that I was directing him - "Not so wide...oh honey, don't squint - I want to see your beautiful eyes...just relax." I still have those moments but they are rare and I have begun to embrace the fact that life is full of imperfection. Imperfection brings it's own beauty as an unexpected gift and, sometimes, it brings laughter.

Christmas Card Outtake 1

This photo was one of many taken one morning as the kids cuddled in the overstuffed chair in our living room. I didn't ask them to pose - I simply started taking pictures, capturing a loving moment shared between them.

Gas Leak

This was taken after we finished decorating the Christmas tree. I could have insisted that they pose in front of the tree and I won't lie, part of me wanted that. Still, I just let go and let them have their picture taken the way they wanted - feigning sleep under the tree or posing for a crime scene photo. Whatever. Either way, this is who they are.

Sometimes it feels so good to let go.

Fashion Fail Friday

You ever have one of those days when you show up at work and realize that you thought you put on your brown boots that go with your brown shirt and your brown belt only to find out that you put on your black shoes instead and then you go to meet with your supervisor and she tells you that your fly is open and then you go back to your desk and remember with horror that you must be wearing white socks because you always wear white socks with your boots and that means that you are wearing white socks with your black shoes and you look like you are heading out to a sock hop to meet up with t-birds? No? Just me? The exact coversation with my supervisor went like this:

Supervisor (hushed): Your fly is open.

Vikki: What did you say?

Supervisor (louder): Your fly is open.

Vikki: Oh my god! I'm glad I was wearing underwear.

Supervisor: Yeah. Me too.

Clearly, I've lost my mind so I think I should just go home and get back into bed. I could drink coffee all day and play Wizard 101 and no one would be subjected to the mess that I am. Either that or I should apply medicinal nachos. I guess I'll try that first.

Let's have some fun - provide your own caption for this photo in the comments!

Have a nice weekend and may your shoes match your belt and your fly remain zipped!