Gianna had about 18 or so of her friends come over for a gift exchange a few days before Christmas. Last time she had her large group of friends over, I stressed out too much. Cleaning places people wouldn’t even go, overdoing it on the food, and worrying about the impression our house would make. This time, I said eff it. I let G clean most of the house, with my only expectation that our bathrooms didn’t resemble a men’s urinal.
While Gianna cleaned, I decorated a little and then ran to the store. I wanted to get some things for the cocoa bar and drink station, and Gianna requested a can of beans as a gag gift for her friend. I didn’t write beans on my shopping list because it was the main reason I went to the store.
Arriving at Target, I was in immediate shock at the number of people there. It was mid-day Thursday. Yes, it was the week before Christmas but good God don’t people work during the day anymore?! Is everyone off now before the holiday??? The store was so damn busy, and with all the bustle, I ended up forgetting the damn beans.
I get back home, beanless. Scarlett was in the kitchen. She had cleaned up and organized the paper products and hot cocoa bar. I could tell she was a little stressed out. Not that tiny chores like this are her tipping point, but she had been anxious the past week or so leading up to this party. She didn’t want to be the younger, annoying sister that was hanging out with all the older kids. She wasn’t sure she’d belong. As the minutes counted down to the party start time, I think she was getting more anxious.
Evie wasn’t helping. She had been a bit whiny all year day. She’s been hopped up on sugar for the month of December and it showed. I can’t wait for all the sweets to be done. Evie wanted Scarlett to make her “pink smlime”. That’s pink slime. She’s been obsessed with slime recently. She loves cooking with it in her kitchen. Evie’s old pink slime got mixed with her blue slime and she was pissed because now the pink slime was blue (duh). Instead of buying another $10 slime from the store, I asked Scar to make Evie some.
Scar had just finished making herself a bagel with cream cheese. I think she had planned to eat first and then make Evie her slime. But Evie was impatient. I swear, 2-year-olds could run the world with the way they make people do shit for them. They are persistent and laser-focused on what they want. So of course, Scarlett set her un-eaten bagel on the counter and proceeded to make Evie her damn pink slime.
Afterwards, Scar got up to reheat her bagel in the air fryer. Evie, at some point, started to whine again. I can’t recall why exactly. The wind started blowing from the east? Her toe touched her other toe? Who knows. I could tell Scarlett was getting agitated and near her breaking point. As Evie whined, Scarlett pulled her bagel out of the air fryer and dropped the sucker on the floor, cream side down of course. The bagel was hot (duh) so as she touched the 350-degree circle of fire, she immediately dropped it. ……….. There’s the tipping point. Cream cheese was all over the floor. Scarlett’s tensions rose and I felt like she might now lose her shit.
Evie, bless her, went and grabbed a towel to clean it up. “I got it,” she said. It’s reactions like this that make me, as a parent, know I’m doing something right. She knew to help clean up even if she didn’t know that whining is probably the worst thing a kid can do.
As Evie cleaned up, I stepped over the smeared cheese and hugged Scarlett. Told her it was ok. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” was playing on the Google Home in the kitchen and we started to dance and sway together. I sung in her ear as we unskillfully moved along to the song. For some reason, I got choked up. This moment just felt special. The Christmas lights twinkling, our house quiet with the anticipation of guests, clean – except for the smears of cream cheese on the floor, the music, and me dancing with my sweet and crazy Scarlett who is now almost as tall as me. I don’t know if this moment was magical to her, but I will tuck it away inside my heart for years to come. It felt like one of those core memory moments. Especially since I know she’s been feeling like we haven’t had as much bonding time lately – something I do want to work on. But hopefully this little moment meant something to her…let her know how much I love her and will always be here for her. Especially when she is about to lose her mind.
Before the day was done, I got to dance again in the kitchen, this time with Vince. Now, we aren’t the lovey-dovey types necessarily. I’ve written about the relationship before. But we LOVE each other in our own way and do have lovey-dovey moments. A little while after dancing with Scarlett, Vince came home from work. He commented how nice the house looked, how good of a job we all did getting ready for it, and how – even though I might be somewhat antisocial – I do a great job at setting up for parties. He was in a good mood, it was obvious. Again, I think there’s something special about a house, just before the guests start to arrive, and of course the spirit of Christmas. This time of year glows.
He grabs me, pulls me close in his big bear hug, and starts to dance along to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” which is now playing on the kitchen speaker. I nestled my face into his chest, smelling the Irish Spring soap, and immediately choked up. The fact that, here I was in the kitchen, the same spot I was with earlier with Scarlett, was not lost on me. Oh universe, you are good. You know how I love connections like these. The moments that, when they stand alone, they are magical. But, when you pair them together, two special things that interrelate and happen so close together that you KNOW it’s for a reason, this pairing makes those moments even more special.
We stopped dancing as the song ended. There was still things to do before the first guests started to arrive. As we parted, I tucked that moment away in my heart too.
The party that night was a success. Gianna’s best friend brought her a can of beans to gift and Scarlett’s anxiety about being an annoying, tag-along, younger sister was unwarranted. She hung out with Gianna’s friends and had a great time. All that worry for nothing (like always). Even Evie stayed up past her bedtime to party a bit.
There was plenty of food and plenty of memories made. But my two favorite moments of that night had to be my dances in the kitchen.