Capturing Christmas

When we took our boys shopping a couple of weeks ago at the dollar store it was a lot of fun to see what they chose for each other and also what they chose for us. Brett couldn't wait for me to open my presents from my boys. My older boys picked the perfect gift... Milky Way chocolate bars (my favorite). Smiley picked out a candy necklace for me.

I think I'll wear it to church on Sunday just in case I get hungry.

At the dollar store Giggles picked out a toy motorcycle for Smiley thinking that Smiley would love it. Unfortunately, come Christmas morning, Smiley opened the present and tossed it aside saying he hated it because it had purple on it.

This happens all too often. That moment when your child opens a present and says something like, "that's not what I wanted," or "I didn't ask for that!" and you remember that you forgot to have

THE TALK

Where you remind your kids to be polite no matter what you get. So on the way to grandma's house after opening presents at home we had THE TALK in the car.

Then Sheriff opened his present from his grandma. I managed to capture the look on Sheriff's face when he opened his present from his grandma and grandpa. Keep in mind that he wasn't rude. He opened the wrapping paper and discovered this...

I saw the look on his face as he showed me what he got for Christmas. He didn't say anything and I was confused momentarily as I wondered why Roxy and John gave him Christmas lights. Then a light when on in my head and I smiled and said, "open the box."

He opened the box and to his surprise (and I'm sure relief) he discovered an iTunes gift card.

April was not as fortunate as Sheriff however. Her present didn't have a surprising happy ending. Her morning started out weird and ended weird. You're welcome! Her first present of the morning was a purple... well, we're not sure WHAT it is.

And thanks to the string pull I made sure that her day ended with another weird creature for her to take home (I'm sure she'll prank me with it later).

Of course April did not forget me. She found a hideous nutcracker at the D.I. to bring horror to my Christmas morning as well as a musical sock monkey that my kids can't help but activate every time they pass him. Thanks April!

So hopefully next year I will remember to have THE TALK before Christmas morning. I also hope I can find suitable friends for the purple and gold monsters. :)

Related to Ebenezer Scrooge?

The last few weeks Brett has been groaning about the approach of Christmas. Not like I have been groaning about the approach of Christmas. I wish I had more time to get ready. I LOVE Christmas. I love the lights, the music, the smell of cookies (and the taste of cookies), and I especially love to watch my kids open their presents on Christmas morning.

I think perhaps that is where my husband and I differ. He has been dreading Christmas morning probably BECAUSE of the presents. I am instruction-challenged which in essence means I can't put things together. My seven-year old can read and follow instructions with more ease and skill than I can. No exaggeration. I'm serious.

So with four boys and all their toys and accompanying instructions I suppose that Christmas morning becomes somewhat of an instruction overload and therefore a nightmare for him as boys clamor for immediate help from the only parent who can give it.

Last night Brett said to me, "we need to do my family history." I gave him a strange look because I know for a fact that his grandmother has already done extensive family history in his family. I didn't quite understand what he meant. He elaborated. "I'm pretty sure I must be related to Ebenezer Scrooge."

I laughed. "You know he's a fictional character right?" I replied.

Still... I had better look through the toys a second time and make sure there aren't too complicated or I might have a revolt on my hands come Christmas morning.

I love you mom.

My son has conditioned himself to stand on the bus. I am seriously considering finding a hypnotist - the kind that hypnotizes kids to sit on buses. Is there one out there somewhere?

Anywhere?

Tonight as he finished his dinner he said to me, "I love you mom. But I need to show you that I love you so on Monday I will stand on the bus." He slapped his hand over his mouth when he realized his mistake.

If I was any less stubborn I would throw my hands up in the air and give up. Instead I shake my head and dig my heels in deeper.

Me vs. Electronics

Do you ever feel like it is you versus the world? Well I'm not saying that the world is out to get me. That would be paranoid. But definitely anything run by electricity is. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'. Remember the hairdryer incident in the Philippines? Burned my thumb? Plugging in the extension cord in the kitchen? Burned my thumb and blew the breaker? Anytime I call into the bank, insurance company, customer service center of any kind - their computer is down. Computers that I touch break, malfunction go haywire. The only exception to this has been my macbook and it too is starting to do weird things.

My most recent computer experience happened last week with a class I have been trying to register for at a local community college. I have been number 1 on the waitlist for a month. The way it works is that you have to check daily in the email the college assigns you through their website to see if they have sent you an email saying there is an opening for you. They only hold it for 24 hours and then offer it to the next person on the waitlist. You are then kicked off of the list if you don't register in that 24 hour time.

So I checked everyday for the month that I was number 1 on the list. Then came a day when I couldn't get onto their site. I kept getting a message telling me that there were too many people trying to access the site and to try back. I tried multiple times that day with no luck. I thought, "no problem, what are the chances that after a month today would be the day I would get the email offering me the class?" What was I thinking? Of COURSE that would be the day!!!!

I logged in the next day because naturally I had NO PROBLEM logging in - and I had been kicked off the waitlist. My spot had been offered to the next person on the list. I called the school to find out what had happened and when I explained what the message on the computer said the administrator told me that this never happens. It must have been a problem with MY computer. Their system NEVER gets overloaded, it simply slows down. What???

So I am either cursed or computers/electrical gadgets really have a consciousness and have it in for me. You decide.

School Bus Vows

We are now into the month of December and my lectures... uh... discussions with Smiley continue on how to act properly on the bus. Every day after school Sheriff and Wannabe report that Smiley stood up while the bus was driving, and/or hit someone on the bus. So we walk to the bus stop the next day going over the school's BIG 3 - Respect, Responsibility and Safety.

Smiley looked up at me this morning after another discussion of where his bum should be and said with in all sincerity, "Mom, I will never stop standing on the bus."

I believe he means it.