Santa Claus

So my worldly 9 year seemed bound and determined to prove that Santa Clause was not the person who put additional gifts under the tree. He talked about setting up the video camera to survey the tree. He discussed his plans at length with Uncle Bill, Aunt Email, Grandma and Grandpa and whoever else was around Tuesday evening.

Well, this year I did not reserve any of the gifts to wrap in the separate “Santa Claus Paper”. All gifts were wrapped in the each person’s designated paper and on Christmas Eve I moved the pile from my bedroom to under the tree.

The we went to 5 PM Mass at my Brother and SIL’s Church, went back to their house for dinner and gifts. We arrived home about 10:30 where Mr. Morning person (just like his Mom) declared he was going to bed.

Christmas morning he was the first one downstairs (I was in the shower when he got up). He tells me “there are no more gifts there.”

“Nope, there are not. But why don’t you go get your gifts and put them under the tree.”
And he did. “Hey, look at that, You are Santa Claus."

“No I am not”

“Sure you are, anyone who gives gifts at Christmas is Santa Claus. We all give gifts to in Memory of St. Nicholas, a generous man who left gifts.”

Now I’m not sure he bought all this. But I sure hope it sinks in. I want him to think of Santa Claus as the embodiment of giving. My Parents used to tell me “Santa is the Spirit of Christmas.

The picture is of him sitting on Santa’s lap Christmas night.

Included in my Chrsitmas card to Out-of Town-ers

scrapbook pages - digital

I swear they have cameras in my house...

Tidbits

• Yesterday my 9YO Drama King lamented how mis-treated he has been throughout his life ?! - Serious discussions ensued. He did concede that he was lucky that he had a friend next door, both parents married and living together, plenty of food to eat, clothes to wear, Cable TV to watch, video games and internet.
• The 13YO is going to have a rude surprise when he comes home and finds that he cannot get ont he computer. I password protected it. He's been finding other things to do rather than his homework.
• Both boys have Christmas programs (it is a Parochial school, so it is a Christmas program) LOL). The 9 YO had the school where every kids from K-5th participate. The 13 YO has a band concert. I told Hubby we'd flip a coin, but he decided to let the 9 YO choose who he wanted to go to his program. He Chose Dad. Yeesssss! I get to go to the Advanced band concert.

Nightmare Morning

Tuesday morning was the morning I live in fear of. The 13 Yo got up late, argued with his 9 YO brother and did not pay attention to the clock. He went abotu his morning preparations leisurely. He was not concerned that he did not have all of his stuff together. Even when we went outside to wait for the bus, he had to go back inside and find something. The bus came around the corner he flies out of the house and down the driveway forgetting stuff sitting int he garager for him to take.

My take on things is that he should come downstairs int he moring, dressed, pack his backpack, put on his shoes, gather his stuff by the door and then make his breakfast. I keep portable foods and he can take his breakfast with him. The bus drive may not be too happy, but he would have time to eat between the time he arrives ont he school grounds and when class starts. But his focus is on getting food into his belly.

I hate the yelling that goes on in my house. I want him to do things one way and he wants to do them another. I guess that's like with a teenager. Now if only he were an organized teenage.

16 years together

Three Cheers for carpools

So the 13Yo ended up deciding to stick with wrestling this winter. He talked about giving it up. We told him he could if he came up with a differet activity to fill the void. I don't think he took much effort into looking at indoor soccer and came back to wrestling by default.

He has been wreatling since first grade. So this is his 8th year. Moving last year had us at a new program that was much more intense than the old program. He has 3 other boys close to his weight class. He just does not have the killer instinct and last year, when the referee blew the whistle, he got a "deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. He will bein his first tournament of the season on Saturday. It is an alternate tournament - the B team if you will.

My big thing is that with the move, we are in a bigger city. At the old house, the High school where he practiced was 4 miles from the house. It was an easy 10 minutes if you were stopped by all the traffic lights. In the new city, the Parochial high school is 13 miles away. At 3 night a week of practice, that a lot of driving. Very much like the football season we jsut finished up. So when the roster was sent out, I sent an email to a parent who lives not to far asking about a carpool. It took a few days but she got back to me and said we were welcome to join the carpool that 4 boys were already are part of. We will only have to drive once every other week. This really helps keep me sane on nights like last night where Hubby is out of town and the 9YO had to be at practice at 6:00 several miles from the 13Yo practice location.

With this carpool, we all meet up at the house closest to the freeway. The boys call or text when they leave the school after practice and we pick them back up at the same house. This is much less driving and gives me about 3 hours between drop off and pick up. That means I can eat at home and not be finding a Kroger that has the fancy new sushi counter and getting a Californial roll for my dinner.