Sleepover update

Apparently they had a harder time sleeping then I realized. I was told that at 1 o’clock in the morning we decided to go into their own beds and sleep so they could sleep better. I found this out when Claire woke me up with the sound of puke rolling all over my bathroom floor at 5:30 AM this morning. Awesome

I guess it’s a good thing they separated. Maybe Max will be spared the spread. Who knows. Currently we are awaiting who falls downhill next.

Clair seems to be holding some white food and drink down now. When I Woke max and Ellie around 930 and told them to keep their distance from Clairs room because she had the stomach bug they both reacted. Max had more sympathy for clair. Ellie was gripped with fear (somewhat like me.)

Two minutes later I hear max yelling at Ellie to stop spraying stuff in his room. 

I thought she was irritating him by spraying her lavender spray. I tell her to bring it to me now. She shows up with a can of Lysol I didn't even know we had. She had gone on a Lysol spree straight away. 

Sibling sleepovers

The kids used to ask to sleep over together in the same room all the time. It hasn’t happened much recently. Tonight, Clair approached me and asked if her and Max could have a sleepover using their new sleeping bags they got for Christmas. I said yes pretty quickly. These are the things that Christmas break is meant for. I’m proud of them for going to sleep without much fuss. I love that they get along so well and enjoy spending so much time with each other.

Thoughtful Christmas notes

This year I managed to convince Clair to limit her Christmas gift making to four gifts or less per person. I think she still very much enjoyed Christmas preparations. Her gifts were very thoughtful. The most amazing part was the thoughtful card she gave every person on one of their gifts. She truly wrote out kind words of what made them special to her. Here’s a picture of mine. I wish I could get a picture of all of them because they were just so sweet.

Christmas preparation By the Mom

I started preparing for Christmas earlier than normal this year, thanks to Vicki. We started discussing Christmas gifts and October. This really preparation helped make Christmas Eve more relaxing for me. I haven’t found time for a game with Clair during the afternoon.

As is typical of the past few years, I took a week before Christmas off work so that I will have time to be prepared and not be up until 4 AM on Christmas Eve. I don’t think I was ever up till 4 AM, but they were definitely a few years in the early days where I was up past midnight and tired in the morning. I don’t like being tired in the morning because I’m grumpy and I want to enjoy Christmas with my kids.

Earlier this week despite Max being home sick from school, I managed to get most of the wrapping done. I counted the number of gifts I wrapped the day I did the most. I spent a good six hours wrapping and wrapped about 100 presents that day. I had to wrap more two separate occasions. I think I wrapped her 150 presents this year. My children are spoiled. I am blessed to have the resources to spoil them. I also hope it’s not damaging them. I know that they get so much. I’m not sure if they know they get so much.

Thankfully Max and Claire, who have both been sick over the past week, have recovered. Sadly, David was sick today. He was running a fever. He had to get tested for Covid and the flu. I’m grateful that he was negative. And I’m hopeful that tomorrow he will feel better to enjoy Christmas with our kiddos. 

We managed to have all of the traditional Christmas eve activities completed. After breakfast we start by The kids decorating their gingerbread houses with loads of candies. Then we enjoy the afternoon lost the people who are not quite ready for Christmas finish Christmas preparation‘s. Then, we have a check could you reboard dinner before going to church. After church we come home and have cookies after giving the reindeer their food and setting cookies out for Santa. Finally after everyone is in their Christmas pajamas, stockings are hung in the living room with care. Tonight we ended with family prayer before sending the children off to their beds.

It was a relaxing Christmas Eve for me. Thankfully I’ve had the week off to prepare. I’m looking forward to tomorrow with my kids and hopefully my parents over for dinner.

I’m also thankful of the kids are at an age where I was able to get some decent pictures easily.

Christmas Eve teeth

Christmas 2022, Claire was missing her two front teeth. She enjoyed being able to connect the song. Fast forward to Christmas 2021 and Clair has two loose teeth on either side of her front teeth. She suddenly becomes determined to lose them on Christmas Eve so that the tooth fairy and Santa clause come on the same night. 

I honestly did not believe she would pull that off and ignored it. There’s two side wiggly teeth stayed in there for a while. Fast forward to Christmas Eve. She wakes me up by telling me that she got her two side teeth out one at 6:45 AM in the other 7:15 AM. She was so proud of herself. This is surely a girl who knows how to execute a plan that she has made.

Kittens and kiddos

In the beginning of October 2 kittens found us. Rachelle‘s sister-in-law had rescued them and she was convinced they were the ones for us. I should’ve known that when I agreed to meet them we would be bringing them home.

It has been a journey. They came with fleas and mites and worms and a hair problem. Sunshine even had a little heart murmur at her first visit.

For the first few weeks they had to stay in a bathroom and we had to do a lot of cleaning to keep the house from getting fleas all kinds of stuff.

But we have nursed them to full health. They are lovely little kittens that run around our home. They absolutely love spending time with Max in his room. Clair has a doll house that’s been converted into a sleeping condo which they enjoyed greatly. Eli has made them a special soft bed under her couch. These kids love these cats. And I will admit I’m quite smitten with the girl, sunshine. She’s starting to be quite chatty and I like chatty kitties.

M

Sharing my sink

Ever since we moved into the new house, five years ago, I have been sharing my sink, my bathroom counter, and our master bath with Clair Vonita. This happened because Max‘s bathroom that she was supposed to share was just so nasty I could not keep it clean and I could not have her use it. This has stuck.

Every week and there’s extra toothpaste and yuck around my sink I have to take a deep breath. I think I wish she had her own bathroom. And then I quickly think, soon enough she’ll be out of my house and I’ll be wishing for these days back. She is such a sweet girl. The conversations we’ve had while sharing a bathroom or countless. She is so open with me and she tries so hard to clean up and to make good choices. She is a wonderful wonderful little person. And I am lucky to share the bathroom with her. 

I keep asking David when he’s going to build her very own bathroom, but honestly, as long as this is working and she’s happy, I’m happy.