They’ll Be Fine!

When Ryan and I were dating we’d make fun of our friends Cory and Twyla for going to the MOA so much. They have three lil’ ones and they’d retort, “hey, it’s fun for the kids and what the heck else are we gonna do in the winter!?!” So they got a BIG kick out of running into us at “Camp Snoopy” (I know it’s not camp snoopy anymore, but I can’t stop). We were there for my nephew’s birthday, we still don’t frequent the MOA much, but we did discover the joy in it for kids. Miles had a BLAST riding rides with his cousins. I even accompanied them on a couple. Now the fam is coming over here (my parents, my sister and husband, and their boys, Zach and Max). Ryan and I are going to escape tonight, what with all this extra help around. We have some restaraunt gift cards that are begging to be spent and then we’re headed to JUNO. I can’t stand him not knowing the lines! We need to be able to speak JUNO to each other! He’ll love the movie too, it’s just his thing. He’ll totally get the humor and thoroughly enjoy it, I’m sure. I’m so excited about our outing, it’s so rare.
Tomorrow we have one more family Christmas. My mom’s sister and brother and their families. We do this each year after New Year’s when things have slowed down. It’s quite nice, everyone is done being all stressed. We do a joke gift exchange where you can “steal” from each other and it’s always super funny. I talked to my uncle the other night and he said “tell Ryan I hope he gets the gravy boat I’m bringing.” Yes, just what Ryan needs. We’re bringing a weird looking wrapping paper cutter and an ornament that is Fred Flinstone next to a “rock” sign that says “You Rock.” I kind of want to keep that one, but I think I can be pursuaded to let it go.
Now I must go make bottles and give instructions so I’m still somewhat in control of childcare for the evening. Yes, still a control freak, but working on it. If I call 15 times tonight to “check in” is that bad? I can’t help it! I think about those two boys constantly. For the most part it is only Ryan and I that do the night routine and all that, so I have this burning desire to sit my mom down and hand her eight pages of single-spaced instructions on everything from diet, to nurturing a healthy emotional child. Like she hasn’t done this before! I’m such a freak. While I’m away I think up things that could go wrong, imagining Asher screaming and fighting sleep and refusing to take a bottle. Then I picture Miles climbing up on something and falling through a glass coffee table, even though we don’t have one. I stop and realize it’s all irrational, but a few minutes later it starts again. I know, I know, I need some sort of over-protective mommy medication. I believe it’s called Xanax. Or crack, I’m not sure which….
“They’ll be fine…. they’ll be fine…. they’ll be fine…..”-if I rock or pace while saying this, it is much more effective.
They really will be fine. They’re in the best of hands. I’m mostly joking about all that over-protective business. I think….