Surviving the holidays

The New Year's holidays are looooooonnnnggggg when you have children who actually WANT to go back to school. It's a credit to my entertainment-value as a mother when my four-year-old begs to be allowed to go back to school and cries crocodile tears? when informed that it's still closed.

So, thank the goddess for nearby friends. Illahee arrived today with her kiddies, bearing gifts of KFC, black cherry TimTams (jealous?), and some cross-stitching samples which mesmerized the Pinglet and kept her from complaining about how-hot-she-is/how-tired-she-is/how-itchy-her-clothes-are/how-she-wants-to-go-out-in-the-snow-without-a-jacket-or-shoes. Lunch turned into dinner after the two of us had no energy to stave off the onslaught of four kids under-7 (and a Mini-Ping, who couldn't actually add his voice to the angry horde, but just kills you with his cuteness), begging for just a little more time to play.

Only a few more days to survive until the Pinglet starts complaining about having to go to school. I can never win.

But before that shining day arrives, I will be ushering in the dawn of a new decade this coming Sunday. *gulp* In my before-I-was-Kuri visions, I was a high-powered businesswoman living the good life in one of the many fabulous capitals around the world, speaking at least four or five languages, and jetting off to exotic places (in first-class or by private jet, bien sur). Hmmm...well, I have the "various languages" part of that statement down pat at least; today's eclectic mix included Japanese, English, chanpon (Jpn/Eng hybrid), New Yawwwwk-ese, and the language of the Pinglet and Mini-Ping.

A new decade of the unknown...kind of exciting, don't you think?

When I passed forty I dropped pretense, 'cause men like women who got some sense.
- Maya Angelou