Christmas Eve

Our week back to school went well.  At least Monday went well.  But then Todd was off work from Tuesday on and it is just like in a regular classroom, the kids were acting up when a substitute was around.  Since Todd was off the rest of the week, he was able to see the kids' karate classes.  He noticed Josiah's improved a lot and was much better focused than in months past.  After karate one afternoon, we went out to eat.  It was a place we hadn't been to in a long time, but Caroline remembered she used to get the chicken nuggets there (because they were the gluten/dairy-free menu item).  Since she's been having more freedom in her eating, I read the menu to her and asked her what she wanted.  She picked a grilled cheese sandwich.  When our food came and the ordered sandwich was placed before her, she asked, "Where's the chicken nuggets?"  They're back in the kitchen, honey, being cooked for some other kid who ordered them.  She didn't care for the sandwich, but she ate her chips and a bunch of graham crackers from the salad bar.  Then she got quite upset when I said, "No, you can't have dessert."   "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

The weather has been pretty nice this week, so we got out to rake a few leaves.  Caroline took the opportunity to fill her car trunk up with leaves, drive to the center of our driveway, unload, and throw them in the air, gleefully announcing, "It's snowing!"

One evening Todd and I started watching a new show on Netflix.  In the first episode, a boy is missing and then discovered dead.  They showed the mother looking in his bedroom at the disheveled sheets and the empty bed.  After the show, we went up to bed and, as always, I checked on our children.  What do I discover, but an empty bed and disheveled sheets in Caroline's room.  So, I check our bed first, and was surprised to find that empty as well.  On to the boys' room and I didn't see her, so back to her bedroom for a closer inspection, no Caroline, so back to the boys' room and there she was cuddled up against Henry.  I put her back in her room.  The next night it was the same thing - I found Caroline in Henry's bed.  I asked her the next day why she was sleeping in Henry's bed and she said, "Well, I can't sleep in my bed, so I go to Henry's bed and I ask him if I can sleep in his bed.  The first time he was awake and said, 'yes,' but the second time he was asleep."  I told Todd what she had been doing and he said, "Caroline is in Henry's bed?  The two children who cannot sit in the same row in the car?  The two children that cannot share the ottoman to watch TV?  The two children who cannot sit next to each other at the bar because they constantly fight?"  Yes, the two who have been bickering nonstop for weeks now, are best buds at bedtime.  Now when we put Caroline to bed, she's quick to tell Todd and I to go downstairs right away.  We do, and immediately hear the patter of feet going from her room to Henry's.

3rd night together.

One of Josiah's Awana assignments was for him to make something with a parent.  So, we made a cinnamon streusel cake together.  I really tried to let him do the whole thing by himself, and besides cracking the egg and putting it in the oven, he really did do the whole thing.  It turned out pretty well, too.  Certainly well enough that it was gone in two days.

While his streusel was cooking, he and I played an incredibly slow moving game of Battleship.  After every guess, Josiah would dip his candy cane in his hot chocolate and lick the drop off the end of the cane.  He'd stir his drink with his candy and drink another drop.  We never did finish the game, mainly because the cake came out of the oven and we had to hop in the car to get something from a friend.

While we were driving to our friend's house, the children chimed in on what each would like for Christmas this year.  Based on their ideas, we're going to be handing out a lot of disappointment tomorrow morning.  Caroline piped up that she wanted a baby sister.  Once she said that, Josiah said he'd like some peace and quiet from all the bickering and that he wanted to be an only child.  Henry said he wanted Grandaddy and Nana for Christmas.  So, no matter what we have under the tree at this moment, they're all going to be disappointed.  One child has one sibling too few, one has two siblings too many, and one just wants his grandparents.

We did make it to church this morning, so we got an official Christmas picture.  Unfortunately, it was a bit too late to make it into the Christmas cards that never got mailed.  I was not on top of my game this year.

Henry had to ham it up, because, well, he's Henry.


Now we are just waiting for Caroline to go to sleep, so we can put the gifts under the tree and get to sleep ourselves.  Today would be the day that she took a two-hour nap and so isn't sleepy.  I keep hearing her walking all over the upstairs.  We'll just have to wait her out.