Complimentary...

Holy story book and magic... this time of year with three little ones to enjoy.  If you could hear me talk about it live and in person my voice would literally be two octaves higher and thirty decibels louder.  It's better than I ever imagined it would be.



Today I asked the boys if they thought they were being good enough for Santa to come visit and deliver some toys on Christmas and Kael launched into a diatribe about how he has been "eating all his begetables and shobeling snow and being a good brother".  Then I asked Dax and he said, "Well, I've been good for fifty hours I think."  That's actually probably a pretty good guesstimate.

I don't know, chalk it up to the holiday magic or something, but I can't wipe this silly grin off my face.  I'm even contemplating hosting a little get-together with the friends of the hood to make reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn for Rudolph and Company on Christmas Eve.  I think I'm turning into a jolly ole' elf, or this season just compliments me... what can I say.

And other news that seems fitting to type...

Let me tell you about the mischievous genius of my kids... they have seen Santa three times now.  They ALWAYS want to talk with the guy and I mean talk... about the weather, what they had for dinner, the phone conversation they had with Grandma, how Acey was naughty this morning...  It's a fairly robust report of the Gardner happenings.

At the mall last week, these two oldest of mine solidified the fact that this ain't Santa's first sleigh ride.   Kaelster said, "I forgot to tell you something last time I saw you, Santa.  I forgot to tell you I want Peanuts and a Basketball... so don't forget, OK?!"  And he says the whole thing in this deep, "I mean business voice" and it fairly slays me, dead.  

Then Dax, our sly little fox, with his eyes lit up with brilliance pointed a tiny finger at the big man and said, "Do you remember what I told you I want for Christmas?"  My.Heart.Stopped.Beating.  And Santa didn't even miss a note as he said, "Oh yes, I remember... do you?"  Holy Hannah... I could almost feel a couple of new gray hairs springing out of my scalp.

And so it goes... Santa rocks.  And these boys are somethin' else.

Acey isn't quite grasping the entire Christmas/Santa/Presents thing yet, but he waves at Santa incessantly and says, "HI SANTA!" like his life depends upon it.  He also LOVES Christmas music.  He'll bop along to Jingle Bells and then say, "Wow, dat's a great song, Mom!"



And then there's the daily question... "Mommy, Is it Christmas today?"  We've staved them off by slowly delivering friend gifts and soon we'll be out of those and we'll advance to neighbor gifts and then... who knows, I might just fake it one of these days.  Patience is hard... no matter how old you are.

I already got one of my favorite gifts... seconds after snapping this picture Acey sat up and said, "Hode You, Mommy", which really means, "Hold ME, Mommy."  If there is a better thing that can be uttered from the mouth of a two-year-old, I just don't know of it.  So, of course... I did.  

On a cold & silent night in December.