Month 19: Home Again

We’re back from our holiday travels. Boy, does our house seem spacious. And quiet. And yet, remarkably messy for someplace that’s been free of people and a dog for a week. Guess it must be the 10 tons of stuff we brought back with us, including several hundred pounds of dirty laundry and Miles’ Christmas loot. And that’s just what we could carry. The mini all-terrain vehicle and firetruck are being shipped.

First off let me say that this Christmas was WAY better than last, primarily because Miles slept like a champ. And that’s at two different houses and in three different Pack ‘n’ Plays. Including naps. It was a Christmas miracle.

Of course, all that rest -- combined with large quantities of sugar and attention from adoring relatives -- gave him even more energy than usual. It was like the Energizer Bunny downed several double espressos and chased them with a shot of B12 and a handful of No Doz.

I am amazed that an only child used to being in his own house with two fairly quiet parents would adapt so well to a new environment filled with strange people, loud noises, and constant activity. At one point at my in-laws’, there were 16 people and two dogs. At the exact moment that dinner was being served (which involved at least 19 different dishes), five of my nieces launched into an impromptu round of caroling, some friends stopped by to visit, and one of the dogs had an accident. Miles was completely unfazed. In fact, he loved it.

It did make me laugh when we got to my parents’ house, where my brother, his wife, and their 11-mo.-old were staying, and my mom declared it was “chaos.” Please. Six adults, two babies, and no pets? That’s a walk in the park, people. Especially since the kids were mostly on opposite nap schedules and one’s not walking yet.

Even with all those adults around, there were some lapses in child care. Both C. and I noticed that our parents didn’t seem to fully grasp the meaning of “keeping an eye on Miles” while we were occupied. Under my in-laws’ watch, he got into a bowl of mixed nuts, climbed up on the toilet to play in the sink, and spiked a Christmas ornament. (To his defense, it was shaped like a football.) At my parents’, he found and dumped out a box of approximately 3,000 tiny legos and assorted sharp objects that had remained untouched for the past 26 years since my brother had played with them.

It didn’t really bother me, though. Miles made the holidays fun in a way they haven’t been for a while. There’s only so much reading and sitting around the fire and talking about work a person can take before it gets boring. It’s much more fun to watch kids try to figure out a Sit ‘n’ Spin (yes, they still make them!), shriek with delight at a balloon, and grin like a maniac after tasting their first candy cane.

Really, the only stressful parts of the trip were getting there and back (a whole other post unto itself), keeping Miles from hugging his baby cousin to death and/or bashing her on the head with a toy, and keeping up with the mess he leaves in his wake. At my house, there’s no Oriental rug in the dining room to get splattered with oatmeal. And the mess from breakfast can wait until naptime. (Or, let’s be honest, bedtime.) And a bazillion puzzle pieces, toy trains, and stuffed animals scattered all over the floor blend in with the décor.

Even though we had a nice time, it’s great to be home. Miles gets to watch Curious George again instead of endless football games or the news. He can shout and crash and bang since there’s no one trying to nap. And now he’s got a few dozen more toys to scatter about. That should keep him busy until the ATV gets here.

PICK O’ THE WEEK: My mother and SIL and I escaped to the movies one afternoon to see “Atonement.” The book was great, and the movie was AMAZING.