Three-year-olds live large.

Hey so remember Eleanor's birthday last year, when it was literally just the two of us trapped in our house, because it was -30 and we didn't have a car and Joel was working and Geneva was not yet born and Josie and I were friends but we weren't yet besssst friends (like the kind of friends who make space for you even in the middle of their Very Busy Holiday Season, even though they are a little over-socialized and tired, because they know that you are a tiny bit under-socialized and also because your daughter loves them most of anyone else in the city. Josie, you are basically the best) and E and I actually had a very great day together and ate a lot of expensive cheese and totally made do with our own two selves?

Ok so this year was the opposite of that. I mean, balloons in the bedroom, yes.

But rainbow sprinkles in the cereal, and a newer, better birthday cup.

And then sledding with aforementioned best friends.

And sledding alone LOOK AT HER so tiny on that hill.

And then nap time, because sledding is work.

And the Christmas tree is down but the Birthday Tree is up.

And the cake has so many candles

but now we eat it with a fork.

And such large presents for such a big girl. You gotta really get in there.

Game break.

Present.

Dance break.

Present.

Monster block break.

Present.

Bathrobe break.

Present.

Unicorn break.

Present.

Pig puppet break.

Pig puppet, you help with the rest of the presents.

Book break.

Geneva, how you doing? Still sick and unhappy?

Just checking. Hang in there, kid.

Happy birthday, Eleanorface. You continue to be an alright kind of person.

Christmasssss

Christmas! Ok. This is our first Christmas at home by ourselves, and it was WEIRD but also GOOD (but WEIRD). We did stockings on Christmas Eve, and Geneva's was just full of stuff she already owns. Whatever, she was just like, Yassssss, wrapping paper.

Eleanor's stocking was all, like, socks and a toothbrush and panties, all of which she was stoked about. I can show you this, right?

She is going to be so embarrassed by that photo when she's 13. Anyway. Christmas morning.

Like I wasn't going to get them matching jammies. That's why I HAD a second child. Both girls got clothes, and Eleanor got a 'fancy dancer' costume.

I had to make a rule that you can only wear it out of the house on Boxing Day, otherwise we'd be having A Discussion every morning.

She also got two puzzles, which she asked her dad for help with and then promptly did herself.

And has done a thousand times since.

Geneva was on the early edge of The Sickness so I gave her three soothers - one for the mouth and one for each hand. She found them very soothing.

We're in the middle of an Extreme Cold Warning right now, but this was before then, so we bundled outside.

Snow angels for everyone.

I figure I have a few years before I have to settle on a Christmas breakfast, but this sausage, havarti, apple, cranberry, and walnut breakfast braid is a strong contender.

Duck for dinner, always a winner.

Can't stop fancy dancing. (Geneva's so into it.)

A brief and unpleasant aside.

Christmas! That was a thing that happened. I want to blog about it still, because I love looking back to see where her Christmas gifts of yore are now (Mrs Roy: still large and in charge in the bed).

But we are taking a quick break from Fun Things to be Even More Sick Than We Have Been, and to have a Shitty Night's Sleep, Like Worse Than When Geneva Was A Newborn. Last night I slept for two-and-a-half hours, total. And not in a row, neither.

Eleanor will sometimes wake up frightened or uncomfortable and call for me and just need a sip of water, or to talk to another human. So last night we went to bed at 11 because WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE GOOD WIFE AND IT IS INCREDIBLE and at 11:30, Eleanor woke up and cried for me and I hauled out of bed and went in there and her ear hurt. Only, you can kind of tell when it's a trumped up excuse for some human contact and not an actual ear infection, so I was all, Ok, go to sleep and it will feel better in the morning, do you want some water.

So I gave her a sip of water and went back to bed and immediately she cried for me again. Um...her mouth hurt? And she wanted the hall light on. The third time, she really wanted the hall light on (so I caved because omg it was like midnight and I was so tired, even though I really hate leaving the hall light on).

The fourth time, I forget, but the fifth time I told her that if she kept calling me, I was going to have to shut her door so I could get some sleep, which would mean she would be in the dark. The sixth time, I shut her door and turned off the hall light, and the seventh time (there wasn't going to be a seventh time but you can only sit and listen to your child cry in the dark for so long) I explained to her about her choices, about choosing to keep calling me after I'd asked her to stop.

The eighth time, she couldn't 'sleep very good' so I sat beside her and sang to her, and explained that when we are having trouble falling asleep, it helps to lie in 'the Sleeping Position' (i.e. down) and count in our heads until we ran out of numbers. The ninth time I stood in her doorway and explained again about the Sleeping Position, the numbers. The ninth time woke Geneva, but by 2 am I had everyone quiet and settled and went back to bed.

Geneva woke up again at 3, because she is teething and sick and horrible. I put her soother in, and she fell asleep, but woke up again at 3:30 so I fed her. Usually she goes back to sleep immediately but NOT IF SHE IS TEETHING AND SICK AND HORRIBLE. She was feverish and irritable but in my stupor it didn't even occur to me to give her anything for it. I walked up and down the hall with her until she fell asleep, at 5:30.

I put her back down and lay there until 6:30, listening, almost dozing off and then thinking I heard one of the girls. I fell asleep around 6:30 and woke at 8. I thought I would be blind with exhaustion, but we've done ok. Joel is also Very Sick, and I am Very Tired but between the two of us, we kept both children alive all day.

Geneva is a sad little hamster. Yesterday, after being too tragic to sit in her chair at dinner, she put her head down on my shoulder and just went to sleep while I ate.

She'd better have two new teeth, like, TOMORROW because she is obviously in a ton of pain, and also just boogers everywhere why do my children always have colds. Remember when Eleanor had croup and it was just one awful night and after that, we were fine? I'll double down on that, please.

Merry Christmas, every one.

Oh, get it together, Geneva.

Ok, yes, good, that will be fine.