An early Christmas present....

I am sitting here at my computer after a long but lovely day with slipper socks on and a cup of hot apple cider next to me.  I am feeling very cozy on this blustery and cold night.  The first image is of our Christmas tree with some gifts that have just shown up.  These beautiful packages have been wrapped by the children.  We have no idea what is in them but we know that they haven't been shopping.  We are encouraged by their desire to wrap up things for their siblings and only slightly concerned what may be in each package.  Just the same, I love the sentiment and the authentic kid wrapping jobs.

DPP2017 Day 6

Today started with a bang.  Mornings are busy and a bit chaotic when everything goes right, let alone when they don't.  I do not believe that this is a trait specific to our family but really anyone with living things that rely on them.  This morning will likely have a ring of familiarity to other moms and dads.  Big B woke up this morning not feeling his best and trying to negotiate his way back to bed.  There was no fever and the complaint was a headache, which he struggles with from time to time.  So he was given some ibuprofen and encouraged to go to school.  He had choir this morning and they have performances coming up so we were hustling to get him to school early for that.  With a warning of only 7 minutes until time to walk out the door, he needed to get his shoes on and eat his breakfast.  He quickly downed his breakfast and was wandering around the house.  2 minutes until leaving time and I realize he is wandering around the house sock-footed.  I crab at him to get his shoes on and he declares that he can't find him.  Rich and I join the search.  The shoes are no where to be found.  Choir has now begun and we are still hunting.  Rich and I are both barking things like, "when did you last have them?"  and "Where did you take them off when you got home from your friend's house?"  We are all three getting frustrated and short tempered.  We have asked him to throw on his basketball shoes or his slides with warm socks.  He stubbornly refuses (he doesn't dig his heels in about much but the kid has opinions about his shoes).  And in the kitchen, there is a scuffle between Lil b and K that is slowly raising to volumes and screeches that cannot be ignored.  Impatiently, I go over and ask, "what is going on here!?!?!"  Lil b yells, "She is trying to open this present and it is for you and Dad and it IS NOT CHRISTMAS YET!"  (The last four words are said with extra emphasis while he tries to pry the gift away).  And K yells back, "I HAVE TO OPEN THIS PRESENT!"  I stopped them both and took the present.  I am thoroughly annoyed at this point because Big B is now ridiculously late for choir and I think this is a really poorly planned sibling fight over something that has nothing to do with getting ready for school.  I asked them to help us look for the shoes because Big B has got to get to school.  K says, "I know where his shoes are!  They are in that present!"  Lil b objects and says they aren't.  A quick shake of the box says that K may know just what she is talking about.  So we got to open a present today.   We received Big B's shoes and K's black boots.  And it turns out, that was just what we wanted.   Lil b's face was priceless - he had NO idea his crafty little sister had added those to the box before they wrapped it.   There was another item in there that will have to wait for Christmas for us to see or at least until someone is missing it.  Seriously, you can't make this stuff up.

The next stop?

I wasn't letting Target get away from me today!  

This evening was much more laid back.  There were swimming lessons and math help.  There was also basketball but we didn't get there.  Not a surprise with how our morning went, that little man's headache got worse instead of better and his stomach was hurting too.  So he was out for swimming and basketball.  He stayed in his room all evening without any electronics and quietly read or played in his bed.  He was out like a light early so I am hoping that will clear the headache and we won't be on the front end of illness.  For my most active kiddo, this is hardly standard behavior.  My heart breaks for him.  These headaches are bad enough he gets really pale and will get cold and clammy.  I wish I knew how to keep him from suffering from them.  Here he is playing a quiet game of checkers against himself.  I think he is winning but I can't be sure.

While I was busy in the kitchen making dinner, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were up to some more Christmas antics.  At least now, I know where to look for missing items.  Those two were so busy, I had a hard time keeping up with them.  Watching them work together and be best buddies has to be one of my favorite things.  It feels like little glimpses into the friendship that I hope will take them into adulthood.  It is one of my greatest hopes as a mom - that my kiddos will always find their friendships with their siblings as a safe space to be when they need it most.  Nights like tonight sow the seeds for those relationships to grow.

Fort building, Christmas carol singing, and general merriment.  You will miss K if you aren't looking carefully!

Chili's on the stove and some blueberry muffins are in the oven.  My favorite kind of meal for a windy cold day.  Time to go see where Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum went to. . . . .

Painting Christmas presents in the garage, of course!  But they had to take a time out for a made up game.  A game that includes a rolling seat, a hula hoop, a whistle, a peacock bike helmet, and a toy that I don't know the name of.  Clearly, this was a good game, whatever it was!

This is a dance break.  Groovin' and movin' around the garage before getting back to whatever it was they were playing.  Well, for all I know, it could have been part of the game!  They crack me up.

Safety first.  Even at dinner.  :)

And here is our sweet puppy, whom we all adore.  Truth be told, we were blaming him for the missing shoes because he likes to carry shoes around the house in his mouth.  But he was just as innocent as he looks here.

We couldn't see the humor in today's start when we were in it.  But we soon realized that those are the moments of lasting memories and we managed to have a good laugh about it as I was driving to work this morning.