The Holiday Kick-off

So, I’ve been MIA. Again. You know how it is. Life happens, and happens often.
We made it through Thanksgiving without incident. Nothing really noteworthy happened, so I’ll spare you all the details.
D went out on Black Friday, for the first (and last!) time ever. He brought home a new artificial tree and apparently searched 3 Target stores to bring me a pair of K-Uggs (knockoff Ugg boots), even though I did not ask. How sweet was that? Add in the fact that he almost brawled with an 80 year-old woman in Home Depot and it equals a good story for the next few Thanksgivings. He’s not all that happy with the tree we got, but it works, it’s cute, and none of us are allergic to it. And you just can’t get a nice holiday family photo when the family is full of snotty, red-eyed, rashy people.

We started our Christmasn decorating the weekend after turkey day. TT1 and TT3 had a ball helping me decorate the new tree, and tormenting Daddy, who was berating the tangled house lights in the garage. They both had very definite opinions on the placement of each and every item on the tree, so I had to do some strategic re-placements over nap time. TT2 spent most of the day lounging on the couch nursing a nasty head cold, but did manage to rouse himself to decorate the “kid” tree upstairs. Gavin sneaks out of bed every night, turns on all the Christmas lights and just sits next to the “big” tree, fondling the ornaments. He just loves the ‘pretties’ and can’t figure out why he could touch them to hang them, but is not allowed to now. I can always tell when he’s been at the tree, because the ornaments get a little bottom-heavy again.
Of course, no holiday is complete without bloodshed in our family, and so it was that TT# was our first Christmas Calamity. No sooner had we gotten home from church on Sunday, than he decided it was a good idea to pull on one of the stockings hanging from the stairs. Of course, the weighted chrome stocking holder came crashing down and thwacked him right in the corner of his eye. An ice pack and lovies later, he’s chasing his brothers around the house acting like a snake, so no lasting harm done. Now every time he walks by the stockings, he tells us that thing is ouchie.
So, since last we spoke, my house is decorated, although the boxes are still stacked in the corner, and I didn’t really ‘clean’ before putting up the decorations, my husband has strung a few lights outside, and the kids are all fired up about having their own mini-tree upstairs, full of the stuff they have made over the years.
You’ve heard of the Elf on the Shelf right? Well, those things creep me out, so I mixed it up a bit. Every night of the Advent season, Santa’s elves come into the house to leave a treat in the Advent house. Sometimes it’s candy, sometimes not, but they only come when behavior merits, since we all know bratty kids scare away elves and fairies.
Well, the elves came the other night, depositing their ‘Elf Gold’ in the first box of the advent house. Unfortunately, yesterday’s behavior scared them away last night, so nothing today, resulting in some morning hysterics. Hopefully the kids will figure it out (again) that crap gets nada, or worse, more crap! This elf has candy, footballs, board books, stickers, matchbox cars and other fun stuff to cram in that house over the next 23 days, so they’d better shape up fast! Of course, they’d never know if I just stuffed it all in their stockings…
Until next time, may your days be Merry and Bright!