Back to "normal"

Now that all the hullaballoo of Christmas is over, we can get back to what is relatively considered 'normal' around here.

The tree came down yesterday - and all visual traces of the holiday have been packed away under the stairs in the basement away from prying fingers. The only proof we have that we DID celebrate Christmas is the mountain of new toys and miscellaneous stocking stuffer type stuff that I have yet to put away.
And the garbage.

Boy do we have a lot of garbage.

Even after being eco-friendly and collapsing our cardboard boxes for recycling, we STILL have 3 large bags full of wrapping paper bits, styrofoam(HATE that stuff), plastic packaging, those darn Fisher Price twist ties that hold everything into their packages (I HATE FP for that reason alone)and general garbage that will hopefully condense down a bit by garbageday. We are allowed 4 bags per week for pickup, and although we usually don't need that much, this week I feel like we could fill 27 bags and STILL have junk lying around. I'm doing the big Christmas cleanup - hoping to start the new year with a clean house (HA).
I think I would need a week without kids to TRULY fix this place up - still I have grand plans.
All the new toys went into the kids rooms this year. Our usual bin of toys that sits in the family room was transplanted to the basement for sorting (old/junky toys from ones they actually still play with) and I reckon I'll still be able to throw out another bin or two of plain old junk.
I get into a "pitch it" mode sometimes. We have tons of stuff that we keep for no other reason than "I might need it someday, although when someday actually arrives, we cannot find said item, so we end up buying it again anyways.
Or, sentimental reasons. I cannot bear to throw out that picture I drew in grade 3, because it meant so much blabbity blah blah - when I get in this mood I just pitch it. Pitch it and be done with it. The boxes of stuff in the basement that we haven't even opened since we moved here - we should pitch - I obviously don't need all those extra glasses that don't fit in my cupboard. I just feel bad throwing that kind of stuff out, and a garage sale is just too much work. Anyone want some basement junk? Moving is really good for purging junk - although I don't plan on moving anytime soon, so I'm stuck with my 4 bags a week.

Now it's all about getting back on schedule - a regular schedule where we go to school, and daddy goes to work and mummy cleans regularly (HAHAHAHAHAHA) and folds that ever growing mountain of laundry in the laundry room (Bigger HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA). The boys don't go back to school until January 10th, so we have a long time to play at home and mess up stuff faster than it can be cleaned up, the net effect being a house that looks like Santa's workshop exploded in here. Duncan is constantly looking out the window and saying "It's almost spring". He desperately wants it to be spring so he can take his bike outside. I have a scary feeling that once i give him a taste of freedom on that bike that he will be wanting to go outside all the time. I must remember to establish clear boundaries from the beginning. We still have 3 long months of winter left though - our last snowfall usually happening in early April.

Now that Christmas is over - I would be happy to just skip over the next two months - they are drudgy and dreary, and cold beyond all belief. These are the months that I kick myself and wonder why we live in Canada anyway?

I have booked myself a massage this week. Chris gets medical benefits at work, and if he doesn't use his flex dollars by the end of the year, he loses them, so he generously bought two 1 hr RMT massage sessions at the local spa, and as long as I get a receipt for them, they are covered under his medical benefits. EXCELLENT.
So last week I called them figuring, I'd better get the first one in before Christmas, as I don't think I'll have time to go twice this week, especially with everyone else using up their year end surplus benefits. The girl who made my appointment said she had time on Friday, but with only one caveat - it was with a man. I have never had a massage before, and so I took the appointment anyway, figuring that it didn't really matter if he was a man, because it was all professional, and I really needed to relax before the Christmas chaos.
When I came in for my appointment, I was told that 'Bob' was just getting the room ready, and it would just be a minute. I tried to picture what 'Bob' looked like, and actually started getting just a teensy bit nervous - maybe I shouldn't have booked a session with a guy.....
Then Bob came out to get me from the waiting room.
Bob was very very good looking. Blonde, blue eyed, tall and as I later found out - 22 years old.
Had a wonderful relaxing massage. I even teased my husband about my super hot massage therapist. Luckily he's very secure in our relationship, and it didn't bother him in the least - he knows I love him dearly, and simply teased me back with a "You're welcome dear".
When I booked myself in again this Friday - the girl at the desk said they only had a man available on Friday
"oh that's ok" I replied - in the back of my mind secretly hoping that Bob is the only male that works there....
As it turns out - she booked me an appointment "With Bob - I hope that's OK"
Oh yes.
Quite OK by me ;)