A few more Christmas stories

OK. I am trying to get all caught up in life, and of course my dear blog. As previously billed, here are the last few Christmas Stories that I want to record for posterity.

Mistletoe

I have ALWAYS wanted mistletoe for my house. My Momma and Mimi both have these cool (plastic) mistletoe balls with a red ribbon that hang in a specified place in their houses every year. Mom's is in the foyer so when people enter, BAM! Pucker Up! Mimi's hangs in the arch way that divides her living room and dining room. Perfect for Christmas Eve Kisses when we are all gathered there each December 24th.

Even after 30+ years of marriage, they cannot resist the power of the Christmas Kiss!
So this year, I was determined to find my own mistletoe. OK, if I wanted real mistletoe, Daddy could have shot me some down out of a tree. But I really wanted plastic to be reused again and again. So after years of looking in stores, I finally took it the Internet. I ordered a precious ball of mistletoe, my dream decoration for like $4. In fact, the UPS shipping cost MORE than the item. But still for about $10, I finally had it. And it was all mine!

The fan was the perfect place to hang it. Right in the middle of the room, plus it is too dang cold to actually need a fan!!

My kids. Well, they. loved. it. Like 10 times a day, they would holler from the den, "Oh. Mommy! I am under the mistletoe!" So cute. And even though many times it was horribly inconvenient, I would always drop what I was doing and run in there for my special kiss! The time is coming when Mommy kisses are no longer desired. I also caught them kissing under it many times. It was a total hit. And it really did make all my decorations perfect. David would accuse me of wanting it "just because Momma and Mimi had it." And he may be right. I mean, isn't Christmas about traditions?

Melts my heart. . .

Gifts

This year is the first year that the kids really shopped. I have been just signing their names to things before. Jessa's school had a "Secret Santa Shop" in December so that kids could shop for their families. It was a PTO thing, so I actually helped with the whole thing. Daddy came to help the kids shop and hang out with them while I wrapped. The High School Beta Club even had teenagers there to serve as "secret shoppers" if the kids wanted to shop for their parents and they did not have a Bay handy! I gave them money, but poor Bay had to supplement. A lot. They were mad generous! And when we got home, they wrapped everything themselves. SO PRECIOUS. OK, and frustrating. Jessa is not the most patient person. She is a perfectionist and got upset if it did not work just the way she wanted.

They were so proud. Spencer got me a necklace that said "Mom". It is really pretty, and it even has a fake diamond! And Jessa got me an angel figurine that lights up with a fancy neon LED light. They got presents for other people, too. David got a pen from Spencer that said #1 Dad. And he notices when David is using it, too! Jessa got Bay a stuffed mouse thingy. Oh and Spencer got Momma some fancy jewelry. Jessa even picked out a lovely ring for her teacher! They really were thoughtful. . .

I also let each of them pick something for the other one during shopping trips when I only had one of them with me. This was pretty easy since they both had sicknesses off and on. . . He picked her out a Barbie Aqua Doodle type book thing. She picked him out a set of Sponge Bob Matchbox cars. The sweetest part about it all is that they each wanted to wrap what they bought for the other one. So I set them up and they both did a good job.

The first presents under our tree this year were so special because they were for my babies FROM my babies.

Cards

This is the first year that the kids seemed interested in Christmas Cards. They each picked out some to give to their friends. I thought this was a cute idea. I even got Candy Canes to attach to each card. They had class lists and were excited to tackle this task.

They spent a lot of time. They got all set up. I had to help Spencer a little more than Jessa, but they did a lot of it themselves. Spencer and I were set up on the coffee table. Quite an operation.

I am pretty sure this is called "Hardly Working." Note the marker covered hands.

He finished more quickly - I was allowed to help him, and his class is much smaller.

One of his cards - close-up

All of his cards - ready to go! He drew them all pictures. So cute!

Jessa, on the other hand was on the floor by the tree with her lap board. She was very focused and determined. She was making lots of progress. I went over to check on her. She had a stack of cards all nicely sealed. Many had pictures on the outside that she has drawn. I looked over them and realized that not one of them had a name on the outside. She wrote "Dear ____" on the inside and then nothing on the outside. Oops. AND she was not doing them in order, so I could not even begin to guess which card was for which child.

I had to get out tools:

Unseal the card.

Check the name.

Reseal the card.

Sit with her until she wrote the name from the inside on the outside.

She took it all very seriously and the night she did her cards, I left her up. Seriously, she was not going to bed until they were all finished. So Spencer was already in the bed, and I got all my end of the evening stuff done. And I left me sweet girl downstairs, sitting by the Christmas tree, listening to Christmas CDs, and thoughtfully addressing a Christmas card to every child in her class (27!).

The actual holiday of Christmas may have been a post-surgical, drug-induced blur, but I have some really awesome memories of preparing for Christmas this year. . .