Tracking Santa

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.htm


The kids are already chomping at the bit for their visit from Santa. We are going over to Grandma and Grandpa Hagen's tonight for Christmas Eve. We have a plan to have a package delivered to their house with the kid's names on it. It will be called a "PajamaGram". Inside will be the kid's pjs to wear that night and a message from Mrs. Claus letting them know Santa has already left to deliver the toys to all of the good girls and boys.

Just to throw them off track...................

Do you Have Christmas Spirit?

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 60%

You have a lot of Christmas spirit, and it's evident to most people who know you. You love most things Christmas, and you do your best to make sure everyone has a great holiday. While you like the more commercial aspects of Christmas, you truly know what the spirit of Christmas is about. You're all about giving, being kind, and sharing the spirit of Christmas with everyone you know.

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Ok. That description is just silly for a 60% "spirit" level! It should be saying something more like, "You can't believe it's Christmas again. You are bugged beyond comprehension that stores have been marketing Christmas stuff on their shelves since Labor Day. You have to fit time in not only for those school parties for your kids but also manage to make treats for everyone and oftentimes having to make them twice because you ate the first batch yourself, wrap the stocking stuffers, go back to the overcrowded mall because while wrapping your stocking stuffers, you realize you forgot to buy a child's pj's for Christmas Eve. You drown your stress with lots of Diet Coke and that new yummy fudge recipe you found. You don't understand how the One-stop-shop Walmart can run out of powdered sugar and cinnamon sticks yet they don't sell stamps so you can mail your belated Christmas Cards. And let's not forget how much you LOVE to watch "Charlie Brown's Christmas" over.....and over.....and over.....and over."

Contrary to what my 60% Christmas Spirit levels seems to say about me........I'm really not feeling the Christmas Spirit so much this year. Something about a crawling nine month old combined with a two year old. Oh yeah.....and a husband who still has a bruise left over from putting up lights and falling off of the extension ladder last year.......which means no outside lights either.

This is the extent of my decorating this year:

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care. So the kids don't freak out that Santa won't find them there.......

The tree is up in all its gated glory. That, I'm afraid is the end of my inventory.

Semi Wordless Wednesday

bad day?


This should make you feel better. I wonder if it is the same lady I saw walking around Disney World in stilettos.......

School fundraisers

Ugh.

The following story is the reason the candle/wrapping paper/candy/cookie dough/needless junk fundraising forms my kids bring home from school end up in the circular file.

My son brought home a Christmas boutique preview sign up form home from school last week. I see the strategy. I must admit it's pretty sneaky. See, you get the kids to "preview" the useless junk then go home and tell mom and dad that they just HAVE to buy the $12.00 picture frame or $6.00 cookie tin for you for Christmas. Sure....wait until Christmas then you can hit 'ol mom and dad up for the money under the guise of "it makes a great stocking stuffer".

.

Clever.

So, my son comes home with his checklist of things he wants to buy. Most are about $4.00. Some were $8.00. I told him he needed to narrow his list of twenty items down to two. So, he thought it would be nice to get me some kind of useless something or other. I honestly can't even remember what it was. All I know is that it was going to set me back four bucks. Then he wanted to get Grandma Hagen some kind of fiber optic Angel, because, who WOULDN'T want a fiber optic Angel? Another four bucks.

Fine.

I stuck my $8.00 in the....get this......pre printed envelope that has spaces for the loved ones on any five year old child's list of people they need to buy gifts for.

sisters/brothers/mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/pets.

I swear. I'm telling you........it was marketing at its finest.

.

So I filled out the places where it said "gift for mom" and "gift for grandma". I specifically stated WHAT overpriced items it was I wanted my son to buy then put my exact change in the sealed envelope.

A couple of days later, I get a couple of quarters back and this:

Sorry to spoil the surprise Grandma Hagen, but you aren't getting a fiber optic Angel. Nor am I getting whatever it was that he wanted me to have that I can't even remember either. He came home with, as he calls it, a "moon" ring. I suppose it's really a "mood" ring but in reality, it is a $7.50, could have bought it at a flee market for a buck, would rather have had a fiber optic Angel, hunk of a piece of metal.

.

And this is why I don't do school fundraisers. I would have much rather written a check for eight bucks made out to his school.

When markers attack

Or rather, someone didn't put the lids back on the markers when they were done with them last.

And by the way......

Erasable does NOT = Washable.

You better watch out! You better not cry!

Better not pout
I'll tell you why..........

Santa's watching you.

If you want to get your kids to behave even if it's just for a couple of weeks, then you need to try my new technique. It has worked like a charm for me the last few days. Call it guilt, label it manipulation. Whatever. I call it genius.


Here's what you do. Send a letter to your kids from "Santa". Be sure to add a little tid bit of info that only your child would think they knew. Like, "I saw you smack your brother yesterday with the toy" or "Maybe next time you take a bath you shouldn't pour water all over the floor to make a slip and slide. That is something that is best done outside."

So, here's my letter:

Dear Lauren,
Merry Christmas! The elves and I are very busy getting ready for Christmas, and I’m really excited that I’m going to be coming to visit your home in a few weeks.

Have you been a good girl this year? I’ve been making a list and checking it twice, and it says that you haven’t been naughty, but have been very nice. I’m very proud of you. Santa Claus likes bringing toys to little children who listen to their parents, are nice and polite to other people, and do their best in school.

Mrs. Claus has been baking Christmas cookies for all the elves so they have plenty of energy to build lots of toys. One of my elves told me that you want a bike for Christmas, and I’m going to do my best to bring you that or something that you really like.

Rudolph and all the reindeer are very happy that we’re going to be bringing you some presents this year. Rudolph says he would really like it if you would leave out some carrots and cookies for us before you go to bed on Christmas Eve because we all get hungry delivering so many toys all around the world.

Have a very merry Christmas!

Santa Claus

P.S. I'm glad you and Jack are enjoying your new little brother and being such a big help to your parents.


Then enjoy watching your kids spend hours writing a letter back to Santa and wondering how in the world he knew they had a new baby brother! Last night Lauren said, "Mom! You know why I took my shower and am brushing my teeth? Because I want to stay on Santa's 'nice' list!"

Brilliance. Now sit back. Relax and enjoy the cooperation and quiet. If only for a day.

Three Handsome Boys.....

Plus one pretty girl..................

Put them all together and you might get one remotely usable picture for Christmas cards on your third attempt.

At this rate, there may not even BE cards this year.

Other random shots: