12.14.2008 | 7:44 pm | Everyday Life
Last night I spent quite a while sitting on the bedroom floor wrapping Christmas presents. B arranged the gifts under the tree among the stuffed Christmas animals. It was very pretty.
This morning B and I awoke to a strange noise. B asked, “What is that?” I didn’t respond since I was still trying to sleep. B then said, “It must be one of the boys as Tara (the cat) is on the end of the bed.”
B got out of bed to see what was going on. Turns out, J woke up, realized that presents were FINALLY under the tree. The noise we heard was J attempting to open the hard plastic on Harold the Helicopter with scissors. He had already unwrapped the package.
A few weeks ago, B and I told the boys that we would be getting packages in the mail since Christmas was rapidly approaching. The boys were given STRICT instructions to NOT open any packages. C and J were told that if they opened any packages, the packages would be returned to the store.
Last week, I accidently left an opened box on the kitchen counter. Of course J explored the box. I put away the contents of the box and reminded J about the rule. I just didn’t have it in my heart to return the item.
However this morning, J knew full well what he was doing AND of the consequences.
B found J on the kitchen floor with the scissors and asked J, “Do you know what is going to happen now?”
J replied, “Spanking?”
B answered, “No, I am just going to return the helicopter to the store.”
J: “But you can’t return it to the store. The package is damaged.” (Goodness, J is one of the most logical people I have ever met! I’m sure J was counting on the package being damaged so he could keep his new toy.)
B: “True, the package is damaged. I won’t be able to return it to the store, but I can give the helicopter away to a little boy that doesn’t have many toys.”
—————
This evening I asked J, “Are you going to unwrap any more packages before Christmas?” J replied, “Uh, NO!”
J asked me, “Are you mad that I unwrapped the package?”
Me: “No.”
J: “Are you happy I unwrapped the package?”
Me: “No.”
J (after a couple of seconds of contemplation): “Confused?”
Me: “No. I’m sad. I’m sad that you won’t get to keep the toy that I picked out for you.”
I think this made J really think. I don’t know if he has ever thought about me being sad about his actions. I think this was almost worse (in his mind) than me being mad at him.
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12.14.2008 | 6:17 pm | Everyday Life
In B’s sister’s younger days, she could burp the alphabet. She still may be able to do it. However, I won’t ask her to.
C can now burp the Star Wars Darth Vader Theme.
B and I, as C’s parents, are less than thrilled at this accomplishment…
Last night B went out with his parents and the boys. From what I have been told, B’s dad gave B the “thumbs up” sign at C’s accomplishment. Of course, thankfully, B’s dad never let C know that he was so proud or we would NEVER hear the end of C’s burping talent.
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12.8.2008 | 7:30 pm | Everyday Life
This afternoon I took the boys to visit Santa. Here are their pictures… Note that C has lost both upper front teeth. He looks so cute! (If only he would smile a REAL smile instead of this fake one!)
I really liked this picture, too. Santa read a page to the boys.
I liked this one, too. Everybody likes hugs from Santa!
On the way home, I asked the boys, “What did you ask Santa for?
J replied, “pink gloves.” (of course!)
C replied, “Nothing, ‘cuz Santa’s already gone shopping and got me a flashlight and a flashlight helmet. Daddy told me.”
(Hey, Dad… ??? We didn’t get him a flashlight when we went shopping…What’s he talking about???)
Also, It is my hope that when C goes to school tomorrow little “know it all” kids don’t tell him that Santa is “just mom and dad pretending to be Santa” or “Santa’s not real.” I know that the illusion of Santa won’t last long, but I hope it lasts a couple more years…
I remember my parents telling me that Santa only will keep coming to our house if I didn’t come downstairs until I was allowed (I’m sure the timing was based on if my dad had all the Christmas toys assembled). One year my dad’s friend, Mr. Church dressed up as Santa and rang the front door bell. Of course I ran down the stairs to see who was at the door. When I saw that it was Santa, I ran back upstairs crying hysterically. I thought Santa wouldn’t come to our house anymore since I had seen him. However my parents thought I was crazy since I was upset about seeing Santa. I should have been in awe/joyful! I guess it is all in the perspective!
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12.2.2008 | 10:21 pm | Everyday Life
(I must be in a talkative mood… this is my 3rd or 4th blog today! Don’t expect me to keep this pace up!!)
This evening our family had our pictures taken for our church’s newest directory. Afterward, we went out to dinner. On the way home, C started spelling words out. This is a favorite past time for him. He is loving learning how to read and spell! I’m sure that part of his enthusiasm comes from me and B spelling out so many things to avoid C or J hearing the words spoken.
We were almost home and J pops up with: “b-u-g
buuu uuuu gggg
BUG!”
A favorite past time of J’s is sounding out words and then trying to pick out the letters. (Both boys are having a little trouble with the vowels… it couldn’t be because of my strong southern accent, could it?!)
C enjoys spelling. J enjoys “I need to stay up (after lights out/bedtime) and practice reading!”
This brings me to the title of my blog… If you sat down at my desk in the kitchen, you would see invoices, receipts, LISTS!, etc. detailing the boys’ Christmas presents - the only thing missing is their name next to each item. This is fine for this year, as the boys aren’t conscious of all my writings. However, at this rate, next Christmas had better be kept more under wraps than this year!
I also will have to start locking my desktop computer screen, as my email has a lot of receipts in it. (I have already told B to not look at Amazon’s website, as it details past purchases. I want him to be surprised as well!
Not only are my days numbered for writing out precisely what I have ordered/purchased, as B put it, “Our days of spelling words are numbered” as well!
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12.2.2008 | 9:41 pm | Everyday Life
Encouraged by B’s blog regarding battles and his conversation with C, I decided to ask C a question of my own:
Mom: “In a battle between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, who would win?”
C: (with a few moments of contemplation) “Nobody, ‘cus good guys don’t fight each other.”
We all should take a lesson from that train of thought…
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12.2.2008 | 2:38 pm | Everyday Life
B put up our Christmas tree last night. As I have mentioned before, we have 11 foot ceilings in our house. The Christmas tree is 9 feet tall.
After the kids were in bed last night, B helped me put our Christmas lights on the tree. (See last year’s post about how we used pliers, etc. and removed all the no-longer pre-lit lights from our tree.)
Then, this morning J started delving into the Christmas boxes that B placed in the living room foyer. These boxes contain our Christmas decorations and more importantly the Christmas tree ornaments.
In all our married years, B has not fully decorated a tree. He is very helpful at handing me ornaments, unwrapping ornaments, handing me ornaments off of the tree for me to put up, etc. You get the drift. I usually do the bulk of the tree and house decorating. I have MY way of doing things that makes me happy.
This year… oh, my… how different it is.
While C has been at school, J has decorated 90% of the tree. That is, the part that IS decorated. He can stand on the ladder and decorate up to about 7 feet tall. The other two feet are, well, decorated by the star on top. That’s it. 7 feet of decorations and then the tree with lights and the star on top.
Oh, the back of the tree is empty as well. Also, J has selectively “grouped” ornaments together. The branch with 3 ornaments, the identical ornaments hanging side by side…the fronts of ornaments facing into the tree instead of outward where people can enjoy them (doesn’t everyone like to look at Santa’s backside instead of his face?!)…
J has taken creative license with our tree this year. And I have let him - or tried to. I am going to go add some ornaments to the back of the tree and rearrange some that hopefully won’t be noticed by J.
I know without a doubt that J has enjoyed decorating our tree - ALL 5 HOURS of it! I on the other hand am a nervous wreck - and EXHAUSTED - watching him opening boxes and seeing tissue paper all over the living room floor. I hope as I age, I will be more able to “let go” of MY way of doing things and embrace C’s and J’s handiwork.
An aside to my mom… the fragile bells you gave me long ago will not grace our tree this year. J has tried to be very careful with the ornaments, but I have 3 or 4 on my kitchen counter that need super glue. No need to add to that number by getting out my very precious ornaments.
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