A little post Christmas glow...

Yesterday, quite unplanned as I had much else to do, I settled in to watch many, many episodes of HGTV and Food Network.  I mean, it was a lazy couple of days, which is sometimes okay after a busy holiday, but I really should have been back at it.  We had a great Christmas season and while it isn’t over, but is winding down, I have so much to look forward to in 2015! I’m excited. 

My newest grandchild, who had a January 1 due date, arrived December 8 so was a special gift under the tree this year and she is a beauty.  Sweet, smells divine, and just all around pleasure.  Her older brother is active, often ornery, and also as precious and sweet as she…just in a different way.  We enjoyed much time with these two this month and can’t wait until we see them, oh yeah, and their parents, again. 

My other two grandchildren are just a wee bit older and so dog gone funny, fun, smart, witty.  It’s a riot around them and I am constantly amazed by their brains.  Gosh, how fast kids learn!  The oldest, who just turned 6, has discovered card games, sewing, reading and jokes.  She keeps us on our toes, and we love being there.    

Because we have been able to spend a fair amount of time with these two families, and also my son and his beautiful bride, it has increased discussion, both for and against, our remodeling.  Maybe one of the reasons I hunkered down on the couch and watched remodeling show after remodeling show, house hunters, tiny house hunters, tiny house living, brothers, husband and wife…show after show.  Hubs has been busy working in the basement, converting some space and sprucing up some other as he got it in his head six months or so ago that we needed to put bunk beds down there.  I don’t think he is wrong, mind you, I just wish I had been on the same trajectory and schedule, and gee, discussion may have been appropriate.  He has made MANY of the decisions on this project by himself and I feel almost left out.  I don’t particularly like that feeling, quite honestly, and it has led to a couple of ouchy moments. 

I have ouchy moments and when I do, they don’t go unnoticed.  Or, if they do, they just get ouchier.  Now, remember, I am the gal that is seeking joy, spreading joy, spewing joy as one of my lifestyle choices/goals so the ouchiness comes as a struggle for me.  I don’t want to do it but next thing I know something sneaks out…something snarky. Maybe I should say, or admit, the ouchiness becomes a struggle for me to shake off or to rein in.  Once unleashed, it can get pretty outta hand.   

Luckily, the basement is the basement.  Stairs are good for moving ouchiness to another room, and level, of the house.  By the time hubs is feeling it might be safe enough to climb the stairs and breeze through the kitchen, I have allowed the ouchiness to have its moment and am under some recognizably better disposition.  But, boy, I enjoy stomping up those stairs, muttering not quite under my breath.  I could slam the door but if I shut it, he can’t hear what else I might mutter so I always leave it open.   

Fact is, he has done a great job and while I agree with most of the decisions he has made and marvel at some I see as totally unnecessary or silly, he is the one investing all the time. I am totally engaged in the remodeling we are, or are not, planning on the rest of the house so I am good with his taking over in the basement.  We have a couple of long winter months ahead of really reaching agreement with our next project, so it is best if he gets this out of his system as there won’t be stairs to separate us during this next phase!