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We've been talking this Advent about Christmases past and how we would have this Christmas go, if by any chance we get some type of control over our children in the next 4 weeks.
Top 10 reasons I know that nothing will change:
1) Last night, during a family car ride to check out all the Christmas lights in our town, the children fought over whose "favorite" song was on the radio. Having a favorite song playing means that no one else can sing it, cheer because it is on, show any kind of emotion or breathe until the last note has played and the radio station has announced, officially, that the song is over,
2) The children have 47 1/2 favorite songs, apiece.
3) The children have been looking through book catalogs, picking out presents for one another. I gave them each a Scholastic catalog and a crayon. I believe my exact directions were: "Please think very carefully about what each of your siblings would like for Christmas. Circle one book for each sibling and the bring your catalog to me and we can order them."
-Sarah circled three books in record time. All of them were pink with sparkles. One of them had something to do with a princess candy castle. She had written "Joseph" next to it, indicating that she HAD given it some thought and her darling brother would appreciate this type of thing.
-Joseph circled EVERY SINGLE BOOK in his catalog and put a "J" next to each circle.
-Thomas circled each book that had a train on the front and crossed out everything else. "This is so we don't get books that are bad," he says.
-We can't find Nathan's catalog. We think he ate it.
4) In addition to the Advent wreath we normally do, we made a Jesse tree this year. This is to help us refocus each evening by tracing Jesus' lineage and remembering the real reason for the season. We will be on Day 6 this evening, and at 7am this morning I am already dreading the argument that will happen over who gets to put on the ornament for the day. Sarah has disowned her brothers three times over the Jesse tree. We might not do this next year.
5) Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, Sears and JCPenney HATE ME! They sent their toy catalogs early this year...before Thanksgiving. Normally I send the children out to the garage to get the mail. I know when the catalogs are coming this time of year, so I sneak out early and confiscate them before the children get an opportunity to even see them. Not so, this year. Sarah intercepted one and she has been sleeping with the Toys R Us catalog under her pillow ever since.
6) Joseph hid all the instruments at school during music class a couple weeks ago. I got a note from his teacher. I cried. Matt said, "That's my boy!" When Sarah found out, she told Joseph that he would get coal for Christmas. Joseph's reply? "I like coal. Trains like coal."
7) The children watched "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" this week. I am under very stern orders to call my first born, Clarice...my second born, Comet...my third born, Rudolph...Nathan likes being the Bumble. He likes how everyone screams and runs away when he comes near. I have messed up their reindeer names so many times that I am not allowed to play any reindeer games.
8) The children have a Little People Nativity set (yay Fisher Price!!!!) that they can play with, instead of the beautiful, heirloom Nativity from our last parish priest. These plastic pieces are durable enough for Nathan to chew on and are still very sweet looking after 5 years. I keep finding the camel in the manger... and the wise men stacked up like a totem pole... and that poor sheep is constantly on top of the scene where the angel is supposed to be. Is this sacrilegious?
9) We have been trying to pass along some of our over-abundance during this season. St. Theodore's Church has a St. Pauly's box that accepts all sorts of clothes and things for the needy in our area. We went to drop off some gently-used clothing recently and Sarah and Joseph became very upset after we put our bags into the shed. When I questioned them, they told me that they wanted to meet the people that were receiving their clothes. I told them that the people lived all over our city. Sarah said, "No, you just threw clothes on top of them. They live in that little house." Next time, I will properly educate before we do service.
10) I am trying to teach the children about seasons. Pictures of spring have flowers and rain, summer has a hot sun and a swimming pool, fall has leaves on the ground and bare trees, winter has snow...lots and lots of snow. It is December 2nd and there is no snow, which is unheard of for where we live. The children are struggling. Seasons coincide with Holidays. They sit at the front window and my drama queen says things to rile up her brothers: "If there is no snow, there can be no winter. If there is no winter, then Christmas will NEVER EVER COME! Cry now, boys. Cry now." Oh, Bean! Really?!?!?!
