Post Christmas/ New Year

What fun we had. But it's over now and I'm back to work (ughhh! It's so hard after vacation to come back.)
Ali has two bottom teeth. H said last night was the worst night since we've had kids (which isn't true). The night before we went on vacation, when I was trying to pack but Ali wanted me to hold him and Leila threw up in her bed was pretty bad, too. But last night, Ali was fussy (perhaps more teeth? He's drooling a waterfall), and Leila had had a late nap. I was desperate for an early bed because of work today. H suggested Leila lay down with me which was a bad idea because Ali woke up when I moved him. She didn't want to sleep and so got up, and he refused to go back to sleep either, so finally, half asleep myself, I took him out to H. Then around midnight Leila woke me up cuddling to go to sleep, and then H brought Ali back to me and neither one of us could comfort him for ages. Then this morning Leila was whiney. I read that parents get about 6.5 hours of sleep a night. No wonder I'm so sleepy now.
We had fun in Calif. Leila went to Disney with her grandparents and cousins and Aunts and Uncles, and Ali and I went to Ikea and to the movies! He slept all the way through "The Family Stone." It was the first time I'd been to the movies in two years, not counting a conference on "The Movie Theatre as classroom" in which I saw an old black and white.
There were 17 people for Christmas dinner: my whole family, a friend from TX, and H's cousin, who Leila called her "big cousin". The next night we had 18 people- the friend from TX left but H's nephew and his wife were there.
I was so proud of Ali- my linguistically talented baby- who can make clicks with the back of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Then I met a nine-month-old who can trill like a dolphin. Jeana says I should be proud and the 9-month-old is abnormal. Friends are nice to have.
Leila has been super sweet lately. She keeps saying "I have a present for you" and then giving the person something. Yesterday she said she didn't have a present for me yet. Lots of kisses and hugs getting passed out. She must have enjoyed having so much time with us. And she got to sleep downstairs with Grandma and Grandpa. I actually got some sleep.
We came back a few days before the new year and took it easy. New year's eve the kids and I went to Lake Texoma for lunch with some camping friends-excellent. Leila and I dressed up and went to a brief party where she was a party pooper (literally, but otherwise an excellent party attendee.) We came home before midnight and I saw the new year in with H and Ali. Leila was in bed and I quickly had to join her to help her get to sleep. H and I have only spent one other new year together in the five since we met.
The problem with taking it easy is that Sunday and Monday I had to work like mad to get anything done, and still didn't finish the laundry or cleaning the kitchen. I also have to organize the toys. But I did put together the bench my parents gave us and the wonderful wooden stove my dad made for Leila.