I always get excited for Christmas. The presents and wrapping and lights and music and tree decorations and needles everywhere and returns and fattening food everywhere. Right? Aaahhhhhh.
Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition? I let Jack open one present on Christmas Eve. I think my parents let me open one on Christmas Eve so maybe that’s where I got that tradition.
Every year Jack and I cut down our tree and buy him a special ornament at the gift shop and get hot cocoa, etc. So that’s our thing.I’m all done shopping and wrapping and all the presents from “Santa” are ready to go. I mean, I’m sure Santa has his presents all ready to go 😉
me: So Jack, do you still believe in Santa?
Jack: Really? No.
me: Well then I guess he won’t deliver any presents then.
Jack: Ha. Ha. Not funny.
me: I’m serious, he won’t deliver presents unless you really believe. So do you?
I look back at him from the front seat of the car to see his look of disdain, one eyebrow raised. And to think, Jack first learned about parents delivering presents as Santa by reading my blog.
Jack is SUPER excited for Christmas this year. He of course still believes in Santa, and is at that age where he is SO anxious to wake up and get his presents that he can hardly fall asleep. I love seeing the wonder and belief in his eyes!
I tried to wrangle him upstairs while making sure he didn’t sneak any more sugary treats! We made my chocolate chip cookies for Santa this year. No sugar cookies. Bleh. I’m full of that from Thanksgiving. They were good, but I wanted something different. I mean… SANTA wanted something different. Heh heh.
My family is staying over tonight so it’s the first Christmas for that, and the first Christmas without Jack’s Dad here. We’re making a new tradition, I can feel it. Jack was extremely excited to have people sleep over and wake up on Christmas morning with him.
Right before Jack went to bed we put out 3 chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. Jack Art Directed the arrangement. 🙂 Then he went upstairs and I got him (finally) into bed. My brother and I came downstairs, started eating the cookies and drinking the milk. Pitter patter of feet coming downstairs. GAH!!! Hide the evidence!! We were almost SO busted. SIGH!!!
Jack: Mom, I’ve been calling you!
me: Sorry, the dishwasher was on and I couldn’t hear.
Jack: I can’t sleep!
me: Jack, we just put you to bed 5 minutes ago. You have to give it time honey.
Jack: (plodding back upstairs) I’m having trouble breathing. (he coughs)
me: Okay, inhaler time. (we get that going)
Jack: My eye itches… (we get a wet paper towel)
me: Better?
Jack: My throat itches too… (Benadryl)
me: You did have some bumps on your lips, did you eat something funny? Maybe the glaze on the ham was weird?
Jack: Yeah, I feel allergic.
me: Its okay, just relax now and you’ll start to feel better and sleepy.
Jack: I’ve tried and tried but I just can’t sleep.
me: I know, it’s an exciting time. But you have to give Santa a chance to get here and deliver the presents, okay? Try and doze off.
Jack: Be warned, I might come out there to check the tree for my presents in the middle of the night.
me: No you won’t.
Jack: Sigh. Well, if I’m up at 6 I’m opening stuff.
me: 6:30. And you have to come get me first.
Jack: Sigh. It’s hard to wait that long.
me: Try and go to sleep while you listen for the sound of hooves on the roof.
Jack: (whispering) Really?
me: Yes, you’ll hear them tiptoeing across the roof trying not to wake you up.
Jack: (yawns) Whoaaaa….
me: Merry Christmas little man.
Jack: I love you. But can I just —
me: (interrupting) Not earlier than 6:30.
Jack: Aw man!
Jack said: I'm too old for writing letters to Santa. Then he proceeded to really attach 5 pages of things he wanted.Proof (sort of) that I mailed Jack's letter for him.
Jack: I’ll sing. Then I don’t have to learn anything.
me: Aha. So how did you come up with that band name. Do you even know what that means?
Jack: Of course I do! (he chuckles and I worry that his friends are teaching him some more bad things)
me: Well? What does it mean.
Jack: No, first, here’s how you GET to your band name.
me: Oh this should be good. How does one get to “Vixen”, hmmm?
Jack: Okay, FIRST you take one of Santa’s reindeer names. So I picked Vixen.
me: (had to hide my surprise) Oh REALLY? Interesting.
Jack: And then you look around to the computer that’s close to you and read the writing on it. I saw the computer at camp said ADC something something and then Overkill. Cool huh?
me: Who told you how to do this?
Jack: I just TOLD you that I came up with it! Sheesh!
me: Wow, I’m impressed. So what would my band name be?
Jack: Do the formula.
me: Okay…I pick Comet. (and I look at my computer for the first words that pop out) Ummm, this is an iMac, so I don’t see any words. Let me look on the little hub down here. Oh, it says “setup”.
Jack: Comet Setup. Well, it’s not as cool as Vixen Overkill, but it’s the name you have to use. (he looks at me with big eyes and nods solemnly)
Sh*t My 6-Year-Old Says (but he's 18 now) 