We waited until Micah came home from Vegas before we officially started one of our new traditions. So the night he got home, I handed our kids each a big wrapped package. Scout rose from his death bad to open it up, and it was hilarious to see how slowly they opened their packages. (Surprisingly slow from Icka.)
Inside, were their brand new Christmas blankets they get to sleep with until Christmas. They loved them — and I loved that Icka couldn’t grab one and say, “MY DAYDAY” because they look the same.
And when they headed off to bed, Nonnie surprised them both with Christmas flannel pillow cases to also sleep with until Christmas.
It is all SO exciting!
This poor boy has been down for the count the last day and a half with a fever and a cough. But never have I met a male who is lower maintenance while he is sick. Every time i ask if he needs anything, he says, “Mom, I’m not sick.” Then he feels his head, and if it is warm, he then says, “Well, my head is a little hot, but I am not sick.” (Mind you, that this is through half way opened eyes, all at the same time that he is coughing up a lung.)
The poor little guy even sat quietly in his car seat as he started to cry and when i asked him what was wrong, he said, “Mom….I just let all of the potty I have go out of me.” Sweet thing couldn’t maintain control — apparently he is sick.
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I got to stay up with him all night getting him water and medicine as needed. We were all a bit wiped in the morning. But we immediately perked up when we heard Sissy talking in the other room. We went in — excited to get her — and then this.
Don’t be fooled — look at her sleeve.
This is a fuller picture.
Disaster struck!
After everyone was cleaned up, these two cuddled on the couch.
All is well.
But in the battle of Sickly vs. Sickening, I’ll take Sickly all day long!
Less laundry, and way less dry heaving.
(But to be honest, I didn’t dry heave — it is my pure little girl with pure little poop. No biggie.)
Seth was in town with his kids, and as usual, he tormented everyone under the age of 8. Maybe I would care if he singled out my kids, but he is very fair, and even includes his own kids. Maybe I would also care if I thought it was mean, but since I am one of the other ring leaders in tormenting the nieces and nephews, I find no fault. This time around it was at Baja Fish Taco, and the tormenting tool was a plain old Jalepeno.
Scout’s consistent resistance to anything other than tofu, fruit and quesadillas, got him out of this the easy way. He just looked at Seth like he was dumb!
Grant got first prize as he gnawed away at this jalepeno for quite a while. We were dying at how calm he was, and how he never spit it out. This might be one of the most classic kids I know.
Sissy just kept saying, “HOT!”
She kept going for the water to cool her down, but what she doesn’t know is that chips and bread should be her best friends at this point.
The poor girl kept sucking her fingers for the next fifteen minutes. She wasn’t loving it, but I think she is a stronger woman because of it.
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Before you go judging Seth…..just remember that I have gotten his kids to eat a few things also. But nothing compares to the time we tormented Trey under the heading of “Fear Factor” — once a popular reality show that soon after, became one of our family’s favorite past times.
I had just had Icka. We were at the Brockbank’s home when she was a few months old. In my diaper bag, I had the “raisin” that fell out of her tummy button in a plastic bag. (It fell out while we weren’t at home, and I bagged it in case I wanted to keep it.) Well, I told the whole Brockbank clan that whoever ate Icka’s tummy button would be the “Ultimate Fear Factor Champion” — a very coveted title!
So after a lot of thought and consideration, Trey finally said he would do it. Everyone was going ballistic, but my mom and Megan were going ballistic for the wrong reasons. So I finally gave in and secretly exchanged it for a chocolate covered raisin. Trey committed, but it literally took him about 20 minutes to actually put it in his mouth, chew it up, and swallow. When he finally did, he grimaced, put it in, slowly chewed and then popped his eyes open wide and said, “UUUMMMMM! It tastes like chocolate!”
We rolled when he said that. We told him that we had switched it out, and he was kind of annoyed. But we eased his frustrations by telling thim that he still was the “Ultimate Fear Factor Champion” just because he was willing to eat Icka’s tummy button raisin.
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Seth doesn’t seem so bad now, does he? He has some stiff competition in me. And I am a competitor. Let me go on the record to say…..I had NO QUALMS about Trey eating the real thing. It was uptight Nonnie and Megan that ruined that one!
Our Elf on the Shelf came back this year, just like he promised. His name is “Scout the Elf” because in the book he is described as a “scout elf”, and Scout gasped, “HHUUUHHHH! Just like me. That is so special.” I agree it is special, and “Scout the Elf” it is.
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I am already loving how much more meaning Scout the Elf has this year. Scout has already prayed that he will arrive safely, but WAY more importantly, Scout has already apologized profusely for every wrongdoing of the day. He was especially cute when he said, “Sorry Mom for jumping on your head.” I told him that it was okay, and that Santa would be happy to know that he decided to choose the right. Icka, on the other hand, isn’t quite grasping it yet, but she is just being nice lately. Especially when Scout jumped on my head. She ran over and told me, “Sorry Mama”, and kissed my boo boo.
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All I have to say is that the creators of Elf on the Shelf are geniuses!
BRAVO!
Traditions are what I look back on in my life as the best part of life. I will obviously keep on the ones we already have in our family (P.J.’s every Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve family gift exchange, Boys set out the presents and then take off to Harbor House while the girls set them up, “tree presents” which are usually small and for the girls, wrapping nights with the sisters and my mom, Christmas breakfast with pastries, video camera introductions, and my mom’s Holly Jolly number Christmas morning, etc.)
But on top of these, I want to add a few to our little family.
These kids (in a random picture of them cleaning up) are the joy of my life, and I don’t ever want to think I slacked for even a second while raising them. So in honor of spending the weeks up until Christmas as fun as the week of, I decided that I am going to give them each Christmas blankets to sleep with from December 1st until the 25th. I am also going to read my kids one Christmas book each night until the big day. I only have a few great ones so far, but hope to grow my collection over time. And finally, I am going to send them off to dreamland each night with Christmas carols sung by yours truly. We have been doing this the past few nights, and the kids join in and love it.
These aren’t extravagant, nor are the ones I have with my family, but THESE are the things that get me excited for this time of year again and again. i would take traditions over presents any day.
(But Mom — the presents are definitely an added bonus. And since I don’t have to pick — I choose both!)
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