8 Crazy Nights
I knew what I was in for….8 crazy, fun, memorable, exhausting nights! I had the house all decorated for Chanukah. We moved into a bigger house so of course this meant I had to go buy more decorations. My husband was already starting to twitch at the receipts piling up. He quickly drew up a spreadsheet and asked me to at least humor him and read it over. My husband wrote down every family member and teacher with an amount next to their name. Yes, I did glance at it!
I started shopping earlier then I normally do thinking I would beat some of the crowds and be ready early! When I saw new Frozen merchandise I started grabbing stuff and throwing it in the cart. I have two little girls who are Frozen obsessed so I knew I better buy now! Unfortunately my husband was with me giving me that evil eye! As any good wife would I ignored him and headed to check out.
I got the lecture at home about the girls being done, that I had already spent enough, and that it was time to move on to my son and the rest of our list. My husband has grown to realize how much fun I have in the little girl aisles. I know I am dangerous in a toy store! When I tell him I am running to Target he tells me not to go crazy! Oh how I love Target!!
I don’t know how working mothers get all of their shopping done. I was shopping for gifts every day on top of all the other work I do every day. Every time I thought I was done we would remember more people to buy and bake for.
It has arrived, Chanukah was here and all my children’s gifts were wrapped and put in piles. My kids were off the wall excited and headed to school for their teachers to have to deal with their excitement all day! Those poor teachers!
Kids were home, latkes were cooking, candles were ready, dreidels were everywhere….let’s do this!!
The first night went smoothly and all the kids got their biggest gift so they were very happy! Delicious latkes and donuts, blessings and the menorah, presents and a dreidel game! Chanukah was brewing!
The next day my son came home asking me for a Jewish Elf! What the heck was he talking about a Jewish Elf! He was feeling some major jealousy about the fun antics his friends were telling him about the elf on a shelf! “Why can’t you buy me a Jewish Elf mommy?” Dagger in my heart! The look on his face! I won’t buy the elf on a shelf but there is a new mensch on a bench I will get you. “That is creepy,” is his response to me! Darn it!
Of course the next day I am at Target buying more Christmas gifts we forgot (how many people do we have to buy for? I mean aren’t we blessed to have so many wonderful people in our life). I see the Mensch on the bench and decide that I better text my husband before I spend 30 more dollars on something we really don’t need! Mr. unpredictable tells me to buy it! Yes!
I show Max the Mensch, we decide his name is Latke Larry, and the antics begin! My 2 year old is quickly trained to wake up and exclaim “what did mensch do,” and run and find him! My favorite was when they found mensch in a sink of marshmallows and began eating the marshmallows! Gross!
That night Max opens his Minecraft mega Lego present! Ella opens her microphone and Lillie opens her boom box. It doesn’t matter that Ella and Lillie have microphones; Lillie only wants what Ella has! The joys of having a little sister! Max has decided he is not thrilled with the $120 Lego present! I start lecturing on the fact that Chanukah is about family and being together and I actually see my kids taking that in (or I was happily delusional)!
By the time I do Chanukah every night and attempt to clean the house I am going to bed later and later and getting crankier and crankier!
I look at my kid’s piles that I wrapped and counted so well and I start to panic that the rest of the little things suck! I can’t bear to see them disappointed so at 9pm this exhausted mama ran to toys r us. Again I found myself staring at toys texting Seth. He is less than thrilled that I am out spending more money! I get the lecture on buying small things and my blurry eyes grab some things and head to stand in line.
Standing in line I start scolding myself for buying more presents and spoiling my children! I start picturing their smiles and shove my discomfort away! I run home to wrap more presents and gear up
For two more nights of Chanukah! Midnight I literally fall into my bed!
We have two more fun nights! We spent every night together and with family! We had dinners, desserts, played lots of dreidel games, said lots of blessings, danced, sang, read Chanukah stories, and so much more! I saw how happy my kids were and I shoved away that exhausted feeling!
On the last night I asked my kiddos what their favorite part of Chanukah was. I didn’t get the list of things….they both told me they loved time with family! My 2 year old screamed Mensch! I smiled! It was 8 crazy nights and we made some darn good family memories! Now to get some sleep!
Happy Holidays.
