Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Traditions = Making One's Life, One's OWN...


 K, y'all, don't get me wrong. I have much love for my fams (both sides). I know some traditions should live on... But some of them... It's just time, you know?!
Take for instance, the New Year's Eve we had this year. I mean, it went well, and we had over 24 hours of kidless time to ourselves. That says something right there. However, we were cramming WAAAAY too much into too few hours, der. Running off to the casino around 10am, returning near 3:30ish... eating cake and leaving there 'round 4:30ish... Stopping at 2 stores for the last ingredients for our home-made sushi-feast.... MAKING Maki rolls (hello - takes mucho time!)... shoveling the aforementioned grub into our faces to make it DT in time for the comedy club... and all the while - wishing we had planned better. Time flies as it is. It REALLY flies when you're havin' fun - that's no joke. And when you as a couple receive the glorious gesture from beloved family to care for your kids, freeing you for spontaneity and what should be non-schedule-having time... you take advantage of said quality coupledom! I kinda felt like, it simply wasn't coming together the way I'd envisioned... and so did J. So - we vowed not to let our NYE be enveloped by the plans of others any longer. I likey! 
Thankfully - the comedians were so freakin' hilarious, I cried [from laughter] (and snorted, but that's between us) at least 2 dozen times throughout the show! Gotta love that! No better way to ring in the new year than with oodles of from-the-gut, true belly-laughter. That helped, but leading up to it - I started to realize I was being tested. You know... she can talk the talk, but can she walk the walk?? She's always 'preaching' about all this "happiness comes from within" crap... Let's see if that flies now... C'mon fate. Let's see if we can get her to break! I CAN walk the walk, and I WILL - yo! So der. I showed fate who's boss. I'm in charge (well, somewhat.) See - I saw it for what it was. I let out some of my frustration over the matters that were no longer in my 'control'. (Sometimes 'control' is perceived, you see...) I figured out some issues. (Here's the thing. I already was housing some pent-up crabbies over various occurrences recently.) Once I got it out... I decidedly made the most of our time, with J's help, and we went out and had a blast! Then, we wanted to kick something off my bucket list that eve... I wanted to be out at the stroke of midnight. (I know, weird that I never have.) I've been with friends, we've been "in" celebrating in various ways over the years... but I've never actually been out somewhere to hear the cheering and the kazoos, and watch the confetti fly. So - I wanted to just be there during that. Turns out, we didn't plan well for that either. We took a lovely river-drive (best enjoyed without whining tots in the backseat), and found ourselves having a drink at a local spot - that has now completely gone all hipster on us. (CAN I be clear? There is a difference between hippies, and hipSTERS. Thank you. I know I'm a peace-lovin' freaky-deek... but I'm no hipster! I truly don't have a problem with these folks, but I don't quite fit the bill, and I knew this wasn't our 'venue' for ringing in the fresh set of 365. That's all.) So we couldn't figure out WHERE to go. Jeeshe. I guess we're getting old - we don't even know where to head for a loud new year count-down. Ha! Must laugh that one off... We are parents now, ya know.... So the frustration kind of ensued, but we made the most of it, knowing that a new year rolls around EVERY year... right? So next year - we will plan accordingly! 
But bottom line? We had fun! We laughed. We danced (at home). We goofed around. We made the most of our night together. In spite of it all. IN your face, fate! That's what this blog is all about, really. Recording the joy, and making light of the craziness, that is parenting... er - LIFE. 

TIP: Rolling with it is good. Planning is good. A little of both... is VERY good.
A QUOTE (or 2!): 
~ “Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain” ~Unkown
~ "The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you're the pilot." ~Michael Altshuler
WHIDFML: Joel and I made a 'resolution' to plan our future New Year's Eve the way we wish - without cramming it all into one day. I mean - a whole new year is upon us, after all.... the plans surrounding another unnamed event shall ensue on another date in future years, so as to include the children, and avoid the chaotic rush. Cheers!

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