This morning as I procratinate prepare to “undeck” our halls my mind is going over the fun things from this Christmas in our home. In the midst of my thinking it occurred to me that I haven’t posted a Kid’s Quotes for a while. It isn’t that my kids haven’t been funny. It’s that I’ve been to busy “holly and jolly-ing” to make note of them. So before they are ever erased from my ever shrinking memory here we go:
Dropping off 10-year-old Jakob for his last day of school before holiday break last week I told him to have a wonderful day. “Mom. All we are going to do today is watch movies and sing. I could do that at home.” He probably had a point but I made him go to school anyway.
That same evening, giddy from the prospect of having four days off, I was making pizza for the kids while listening to a “Glee” Christmas CD. My girls were preparing frosting and one of our oldest daughter’s friends was on his way to our house to help decorate cookies. Suddenly the inspiration to sing along – badly – and throw in a few killer dance moves overtook me. With a look of horror on her face, our 18-year-old, Brittnie, looked at me and said, “Are you about done with that?” What? She didn’t think her friend would enjoy a front row seat? Kill joy.
In a like fashion, Christmas Eve morning found me in the kitchen listening to my favorite Mannheim Steamroller CD when suddenly the need to perform an impromptu ballet overtook me. (What was in the peppermint flavored coffee anyway??) Wide eyed my children finally turned to their father. “Dad. Mom is losing it. Make her stop.” Their father, my ever loyal husband, replied with a grin, “Why? I think it’s kind of sexy.” (I love that man!!) After a chorus of “Ewwwwwws” 14-year-old Lyndsie piped up, “Really Dad? Must you make us all sick for Christmas??” I love freaking my kids out.
Driving home for Christmas with my family last Sunday my kids were in rare form: hyper, cracking jokes and making each other laugh. After a conversation between the youngest two I heard Jakob say, “I’m funny. I’ll be making Mom’s blog.” Me: “Is that a goal in life?” Lyndsie piped up: “No but you have to admit that was funny.” Me: “It was but I probably won’t remember what he said.” L: “Sure you will. You remember everything.” Me: “I remember less and less every day.” J: “Don’t they sell pills to help that Mom?” Smart Alec.
Because it was our final time to celebrate in this house during dinner on Christmas Eve my husband encouraged our kids to share some of their memories fromChristmases the past 14 years. It was fun and one of my favorite memories shared came when our 21-year-old Erik started talking about how they would send Lyndsie down early in the morning (night?) to check out what Santa brought and report back to them. Brittnie piped up: “Remember the year we got pets and she came upstairs all excited, ‘Britti! You got a FISH!'” (Lyndsie was probably three at the time.) E: “Yeah. Then remember she ran into my room, ‘Erik you got a RAT!’ I said, ‘A rat?’ and she said, “Well it’s alive and furry and running around and you got him!’ ” (It was a guinea pig for the record.) B: “Yeah and we were like, ‘Thanks for ruining Christmas Lyndsie!'” Me: “Wait! You sent her down to spy and then got mad when she told you what you got? How does that work??” E: “Well she was the quietest on the stairs. We didn’t expect her to tell us everything.” Me: “Serves you right.” B: “You’ll notice she isn’t the one we send down now!” They send someone down? I had no idea.
Christmas morning Jakob, who doesn’t believe in Santa any longer but still really likes presents, woke us all at 7:30. I smiled at his bleary-eyed older siblings as we gathered in the living room. Me: “You’ve been waking me up for years. No grumbling.” Brittnie: “We aren’t grumbling. Besides in a couple of years he’ll figure out that the gifts will be the same gifts two hours later.” Oh I hope not!
One of my favorite memories from this Christmas will be Erik sitting in the kitchen last Saturday while I was puttering about. He kept pulling up videos of Timothy Hawkins a comedian he loves. I don’t remember the last time I laughed that much. I’m going to share two of my favorites:
If you watched that to the end, I am totally getting a t-shirt that says, “Jesus loves you but you are annoying.” I’m going to wear it ever day at work for the next five months.
We now have “little helpers in the car” “little helpers in the kitchen”….you get the drift.
During Christmas breakfast Erik’s chair was in the direct sunlight reflecting off of the snow and streaming in the window. He moved a little. Me: “I’m sorry you got the blinding chair.” E: “No worries Mom. I can eat bacon blind.”
My husband, who is Superman, has a thing about filling the cars gas tanks when it is cold outside. He thinks he should do it. While Brittnie was working he traded my vehicle for hers so he could fill her tank. Apparently she came out of work while he was gone because I got a text: “Am I supposed to drive the Escape? My car is gone!” I texted back that her dad had it hang tight. A little while later both my husband and daughter walked through the door. Me: “You found each other.” My Husband: “I found her all right. She started walking home.” Me: “What??” Brittnie: “Well the Escape was locked and I didn’t have keys so I didn’t know what else to do.” (I might insert here that the doors have a key code. Just saying.) I started laughing at her. B: “Well Daddy didn’t answer my text.” Me: “So you started walking?? It’s 5 degrees outside!” B: “I didn’t know what else to do!” MH: “Hmmm…how about walking back in the store and waiting. Or – hey – use your phone and call me.” From the other room Lyndsie interjected: “Wait! You can call on a cell phone??” Me: “Apparently not everyone can.” B: “You people are all mean and you suck!” From the other room, Jakob: “Maybe….but the rest of us aren’t freezing.”
While driving somewhere Canon in D came on the radio. Brittnie: “I don’t get why this is a Christmas song. It’s a wedding song.” Me: “Because they added words. You know ‘On this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night.” B: “Oh I know but it is still a better wedding song.” Me: “Wherever it’s played it’s beautiful.” Lyndsie continued to try to discuss whether it was better for Christmas or weddings when suddenly Brittnie says, “Shut your trap! It’s a beautiful song!” We’ll work on a beautiful attitude later I guess.
That’s what Christmas was about for us this year: time together, love and a lot of laughter. Perhaps that is why I’m busy procrastinating about packing the decorations away for our upcoming move. I want to savor a little longer but the bubble wrap awaits….
photo credit: http:images.google.com
The View From A Slightly Twisted Angle 