Christmas Eve

A doctor friend who works with Robbie emailed me yesterday about how he could only imagine that our children had reached fever pitch with excitment toward Christmas. Today as they ran around the house singing with glee, I thought of that comment. So true! Tonight, once we finally got everyone to bed, Henry's voice rang out with a loud, "Mommmmyyyy!" I went to him, and he wanted to potty....again. While he used the restroom, I explained the importance of getting into his bed and going to sleep so that maybe Santa will bring him a Lightning McQueen (from Cars) toy. He looked at me seriously and said, "I been naughty or nice? I want presents, Mom." I laughed. Once I put him back to bed, I said, "I love you, Henry. Jesus loves you...and so does Santa." "That's funny!" he replied.

Well, some red wine and some caramel popcorn helped ease the pain of our 7 pm mass. Granted, our two youngest go to bed at 7 pm. Robbie and I are educated adults, yet we decided to go ahead with our 7 pm plan. It was a disaster. We arrived 45 minutes early, and Robbie and Olivia entered to save us some seats. I kept the little ones in the van with the special treat of a Christmas DVD movie to watch. We only watch movies in our vehicle on highway trips, so this was a big deal. Henry got upset once it was time to exit the van. He wanted to take some Lightning McQueen holiday window clings into church with him, and he tried to throw himself on the wet ground while I held Vivian (in her red winter pea coat), the diaper bag, and keys. It wasn't pretty. Once inside he went limp again a time or two, and I couldn't find Robbie in the packed house. A friend saved me by showing me the location of my husband, and I just left upset Henry in the aisle so I could drop off the baby to Robbie. People were staring. During mass we sat much closer to the front that usual, and Henry noticed a Christmas vest on the woman behind us. "Hey, that's RUDOLPH!!" he announced. He started asking her questions about her outift, and then he said, "Mommy, can I have a Rudolph shirt too?" The baby was good for 3/4 of mass, then she'd had ENOUGH. She started crying, and even the kind old woman next to us who let Henry touch her red gift earrings and pet her fur coat couldn't cheer my baby. The big girls were good. Actually, Evelyn earned our highest honor, Gold Star Behavior. She was an angel. I think she was too tired to act up in mass.

However, once home she completely and absolutely freaked out with fear that we were not getting her to bed fast enough. She was convinced Santa was going to pass our house, and she was crying and almost screaming for somebody to please unzip her dress. "For the love of God, get this thing off of me!!" I think she would have added, had she had the phrase in her vocabulary. Now, we haven't heard a peep out of her since lights out, and that's no short of a miracle. The funniest part about her tantrum was that once I finally got her to open her special Christmas Eve package, the box was Robbie's Kashi Go Lean from Costco. She was furious. She actually threw it on the floor, and said, "I don't want that!!!!!!" I know it seems naughty, but it was hysterically funny. Robbie and I laughed hard, and we understood her fear of missing Santa and his magic. "Why would I want a box of dry old cereal, parents?! I need to GO TO BED RIGHT NOWWWW" her little mind flew. I got it. The others opened gifts and found snowflake PJs, all coordinating. Evelyn figured it out, and she dressed herself in the new clothes faster than the others.

I love Christmas. My parents made it so special for us. We hope to create the same excitement and wonder for our four. I kept reminding the kids about Jesus' birthday too. They are young, but I think they get it. My favorite mass of the year is Christmas Eve, and my favorite song is Joy to the World. When it plays, I think of my dad. He belts out that tune, and I just love it. It isn't Christmas without Joy to the World. This year Dad and I weren't together. I missed his singing. However, Vivian kept things exciting. She screamed during the entire song. I re-entered the church before that final song. I couldn't be without my family during it. I just couldn't. Baby girl cried real tears, and nothing helped. I was so distracted that I didn't cry my usual Christmas Eve tears from missing my dad. Maybe that was Vivian's gift to her mommy.

Mama's tired. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! God speed, Santa!!!!!!

"Do you think our Elf on the Shelf has a tiny little penis?"

The kids have been so funny lately. First, the baby moved to the dark side yesterday. She turned 10 months on the 8th, and yesterday she was in full "baby on the move" mode. She opened a kitchen cabinet and threw things on the floor. She opened the drawer under the oven and tried to get to pans and lids. She cleared the bottom bookshelf of books and ripped an entire page from one. She got a cookie sheet and banged a cup against it to make a huge clatter!

This weekend Robbie was on the phone with his dad. Robbie doesn't do too much phone talking at home, and we have opposite styles. I talk while I unload the dishwasher or fold laundry. Robbie rests while he chats. After a LONG time, I began to wish he'd get off the phone. I needed to talk to him before I left the house, and he seemed in no hurry to end the call anytime soon. Just as I decided to interrupt him, Olivia handed him a note. It said, "Get off the phone right now for goodnise sake you have been on the phone sinse 10:00 to 12:18 you promised me you would tackle me!!!!!!!!!!" It worked. He got off the phone. They wrestled. He's such a good guy.

I went out to finish our holiday shopping, and I returned to homemade chicken and dumplings. It was amazing! The smell filled our home, and the food warmed me to the core after fighting crowds in store, cold air between stores, and unkind drivers. Gosh, it was good!! The next morning he used the dumpling recipe to make a giant biscuit for breakfast. The kids devoured the food, and I was completely thankful for a cooking husband. He even made sausage gravy!

Last night when the kids asked for dessert, Robbie suggested I make some dark chocolate brownies. I tried to make them molten cupcakes, and they were not well formed after much time in the oven. Henry ate his, and Robbie said, "Henry is the messiest human alive." His face was smeared with chocolate. It was all over his hands, his shirt, the table, and his chair. I thought the same thing when I found so many crumbs under his chair from his lunch today. How does one create so many crumbs? I think it requires special skill.

Okay, I hear somebody crying upstairs, but I must continue...
Evelyn came into our bathroom recently after searching for Porton, our Elf on the Shelf. He goes to the North Pole each night and tells Santa how our children behave. This means he tells Santa how they tease each other and leave their PJs on the floor. Anyway, Evelyn said, "Mama, do you think our Elf on the Shelf has a tiny little penis?" Now, Porton is smaller than a Barbie, and I laughed out loud. Robbie was in the shower, and he laughed too. I said, "Yes, Ev, I'm sure he has a little penis. He's a little elf, and that's how boys go pee pee." She then asked if Santa has a penis.

I have another hair cutting story and one that totally explains Ev's personality, but Vivian calls! You'll have to wait.

Winter Magic

This morning began in a lovely way. Evelyn was the first one up, and I found her curled up on the couch quietly and happily looking at Olivia's book. Henry eagerly joined his sisters, and the three of them sat close to one another under a big blanket on the couch while watching a t.v. program called Little Bear. Little Bear is dear to me because I often turned it on during the dog tired days of my early pregnancies when I felt sick and needed to rest with my other children. Classical music plays throughout the show, and it always has a sweet theme.

Our neighbors the Scarboros joined us for mass, and the girls had excellent behavior. The sermon dealt with joy, and at one point Vivian let out a delightful giggle with her daddy. Others nearby turned and smiled, and I couldn't help but lean to Mary Jane and whisper, "Now that is joy." She agreed. Henry said all the way to church, "I don't like Santa. I don't want to see him!" We enjoyed Breakfast with St. Nick, and Vivian amazed us by being our first little baby to not cry while sitting on Santa's lap for a photo. She happily smiled and tried to reach his bells. She is the best little baby I have ever had, and today just reinforced the statement.

We ran an errand to the store after mass, and Henry kept kissing little Vivian. She had on a new red wool pea coat with a matching beret from Grandma Mary and Grandpa Mike, and she looked like a baby from years gone by. An Indian man who was offering samples of juice saw the four children, and he commented on how cute the girls looked in their red coats. "Such pretty little girls. You are very blessed." He almost brought tears to my eyes. I am blessed indeed.

Now I have a moment to blog while the three oldest children are outside playing in the new fallen snow. Magical!! The temperature today is frigid, so I don't expect my children to last long outdoors. Lucky for them, I have a pot of water heating on the stove for good old hot chocolate. I have been working on Christmas cards, football is on the t.v. for Robbie, and the Christmas tree lights are twinkling. Winter can be so much fun.

It Smells Terrible, So Terrible

This has been a very hard week. As soon as Robbie and I decided to go to bed early Sunday night, Henry threw up in his crib. He cried out to me, and I hurried to his room. The telling smell hit me once I opened the door, then my bare foot confirmed my nose's discovery. So gross. I took over with Henry in the bathtub, and Robbie took over with the floor, crib sheets and blankets, PJs, etc. The laundry was already backed up, so this sealed the deal. The diarrhea started the next day with Henry and the baby. I changed a ton of nasty diapers. Evelyn complained she didn't feel well after she got home from preschool. The kids have been whining, fighting, fussing, and overall making me want to tear my hair out of my head all week. I'm tired and emotionally drained from the stamina required to be "on" 24/7. Henry keeps throwing clothing fits...he wants the football monkey PJs, he doesn't want socks, he wants Yaya's cleats, he doesn't want a coat, and on and on it goes. The girls have been fighting A LOT, and a mama only has so much patience for such nonsense.

We put up the Christmas tree on Friday, and Henry will not leave the thing alone. I caught him with a broken unbreakable Christmas bulb ornament and a plastic candy cane. He was golfing. He keeps tossing stuffed animal dogs into the tree, and he keeps insisting I call him Henry the Baby T Rex. At least the nickname fits! He also showed me how he climbs onto his diaper changing area to get out of his bed, and he said as he lowered himself carefully to the ground, "See Mommy. I hold on right here." He thinks he's such a big shot.

Robbie got a root canal on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Read...dollars down the drain right before the holidays. Yesterday after work he fixed the ceiling light in the baby's room, which was falling out of the ceiling. He had to go into the attic to figure out the problem, and I prayed he would not fall through a ceiling somewhere. I also discovered a leaky pipe in the basement yesterday, so Robbie had to go the hardware store for parts. We were still working on fixing the house after 9 pm, and I was so ready to be DONE.

This morning the baby woke up at 5:12 am to nurse. Henry went to get Robbie out of bed to take him potty. Once I fed Vivian and returned to our warm bed I found two big girls in it. Their fighting began over whose legs were where, and I was too tired for it. I just wanted to curl up with my sleepy husband and snooze for 30 more minutes.

Well, this morning my stomach is unsettled. Henry just absolutely filled his diaper with liquid poop, then he used the potty with more #2. As I helped him, he said, "It smells terrible, so terrible." Finally, God gave me some comic relief. Henry was totally right, but the fact that he verbalized it at age two was hilarious.

We are really excited for Dad and Jane to arrive from Illinois tomorrow, but I have a laundry list of things to get done before that time. I need some stamina, and I need to feel better. I sat looking at my upside down house this morning and wondered if there is some service that provides a Mary Poppins type person to come in and take over the joint. Why can't mommies get sick days? I need to rest in bed, and I also need some clean diapers. I think I am almost out of Henry's, and this is not a good problem to have right now. God help me.

On the "glass is half full" side of things, Robbie did a grocery run for me last night, and we are no longer on the verge of being out of milk and fruit. I do not have to take any sick kids to the store, and that is a beautiful thing. Also, the baby has been her sweet self. She's scooting herself all around the floor, and I think she ate some real Christmas tree leaves from the branches.