There are so many events happening for the Holiday Season right now and each time I find one I think "Oh, I want to go to that!" and then I realize it's either in the middle of his nap or right around it and doesn't last long enough for us to get there before or after.
It's hard to show up to events when you're a mom. At least for me. If that's not you, then I need you to teach me your ways.
It's not that I don't want to go it's that I need to strategize and then weigh the level of effort it's going to take for it to happen. Honestly, if I could sum my life up in one word it would be strategize.
Let's take last weekend for instance. My friend, Sandra (Asheville's Macaroni Kid Publisher) invited me to the Holiday event in Biltmore Park, which we attended last year and loved. They have a great Santa and it's free (you just take the picture on your phone)! There's also a bunch of other fun activities, mostly for kids older than my 20 month old son, and all free!
Anyways...
The event starts at 2:30pm, which she asked if I'd meet her at 2 so we could get our pictures with Santa right away (the line can get long and add a toddler who hates his stroller to the mix and you know the drill. This seems very doable the night before as I plan to put Sawyer down for his nap at 11:00/11:30 for him to be up by 1:00pm, eat and out the door by 1:30/1:40pm.
Here's how the day actually went.
7:00am: Sawyer wakes up. Breakfast and chill time
8:00am: Get Sawyer and myself ready while Clifton is getting himself ready
9:00am: Out the door
9:30am: Drop Clifton off at work
Note: we only have one car
9:30am: Head to Target to make a return and grab some items we needed.
10:30am: Head home
Insert unexpected #momlife: Sawyer falls asleep on the way home. Completely ignoring my singing and repeated calling to try and keep him awake.
Realize this actually will work better as he'll nap earlier so we can get to the event on time.
10:50am: Arrive home
11:00am: Put Sawyer down.
Insert unexpected #momlife: Son is wide awake and not wanting to take a nap,
11:00am - 12:00pm: Repeated attempts to get my son to sleep while also doing Black Friday Sale promotions for our business.
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Sawyer falls asleep
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Eat, finish up business stuff, shower.
1:00pm: Have to wake Sawyer up because he needs to eat and we need to leave soon.
Note: I'm still in my robe with no make-up or hair done
1:00pm - 1:45pm: Feed Sawyer, put make-up on, get dressed (let's also note I'm 7 months pregnant and I hate everything in my closet), get Sawyer dressed, wrangle Sawyer into the car, put stroller in the car. My house looked like someone robbed us.
Note: I need a nap
2:15pm: Arrive at Biltmore Park. Late.
Ya'll I'm exhausted just from typing that all out. Seriously.
Today, Sandra invites us to decorate Gingerbread houses next week. Event is at 1:00pm. Yup, you guessed it. Nap time.
Always,
Dana
There are so many great Holiday events happening now and we've organized them for you in our Holiday Guide - check it out!
